Magic, It Was Just Magic
by Manga Girl number 6
Summary: Arthur always hated getting beaten up while in Worcestershire Academy. But when he met Ashir and Jake, things around the school started changing; especially Artie's courage and Lancelot's fury. *1st Story of the "Girl in the Indigo Robes" Series*
1. Itching for Trouble

**Author's Note:**

Here's the first chapter of my completely re-written story (originally my first piece of Shrek fan fiction)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter I**

Birds sung out their cheerful melodies to the bright blue skies. Similarly there were raucous grunts and hoots a few miles north of these beautiful birds' home. These woots and hollers were of the male kind, coming from the inner field of a jousting stadium at Worcestershire Academy. Obviously there was another typical mindless jousting practise at the stadium, intended to stimulate the jousting team's need for action and to inflict pain on others inferior to them.

Today's lucky victim… just so happened to be one of the few common victims to the jousting team's practises. He was Arthur Pendragon, Artie to all, Bucket Boy and other similar insults –like Worm, Loser and Reject- to the jousting team.

The late fall weather gave the early afternoon breeze a crisp and chilling bite to it; but even in the cool weather Artie was still sweating. The bucket helm that was perched on his head -giving him the undignified nickname of _Bucket Boy_- was unnecessarily warm.

Artie nodded his head to try and peer through the cut out eyeholes fixed in the bucket. He straightened his posture as much as he could under the weight of an unbalanced jousting lance and tried to stay on the uncomfortable wooden steed he had been provided.

* * *

A chestnut-brown stallion neighed impatiently across the field as its rider dramatically pulled himself onto the saddle. This rider being Lancelot Du Lac, _legendary_ captain of the Worcestershire jousting team, who always got first dibs when it came to target practise… especially with Artie.

Why? You ask.

Why does Lancelot have first dibs? Well for start offs: he's the team captain, which puts him in a position of superiority; and anyone trying to get first dibs will have to face the fact that they AREN'T team captain, so they should just suck it up. Sometimes Lancelot would allow other members of his jousting team to go before him, but never if the particular target was Artie.

And why especially for Artie? Well, basically Lancelot wanted Artie to know where his place was… and that was at the very bottom of the social food chain. At the WAY, WAY bottom… even the Dungeons and Dragons geeks were at least a link above him. As an addition to Lance's place placing, the jousting team's captain was specifically touchy when Artie tried to woo his girlfriend, Guineviere of Galorus.

Not it's not that Artie didn't know that Lance and Guin were an item; no… he knew fully well of that meticulous subject. However, in his mind, Artie wanted the lovely Guineviere to be his own. Not only because she was the most popular girl in all of Worcestershire Academy –and among the most gorgeous-, but also because he believed that she deserved better than a jerk like Lancelot… and Artie knew he was better at not being a jerk like Lancelot by miles.

Unfortunately for Arthur Pendragon, Guineviere's interests did not lie amongst the good-hearted _'totally ew-eths'_ of the academy but sought only the popular, good-looking jerks.

* * *

Back among the hooting and hollering jocks and their leader who was fully mounted on his chestnut-brown stallion, Artie was developing a very irritating itch behind his right ear.

If only Lancelot could just hurry up and then he could relieve his itch. If Lance could just hit the damned target that was painted onto the chest of his armour -that is; the cushiony padding intended to go under the chain mail to avoid discomfort and provided not additional protection than his academy's red uniform tunic did- then he could be on his way; maybe…

There were a few loud squealing cheers from the stands for Lancelot. Most of them were from Guineviere's three mindless friends: Brittany of Brittany, Viviane of Avalon and her twin sister Niniane of Avalon. The four combined created the popular school group: 'The Fair Maidens of Worcestershire'. They were sometimes nicknamed; 'The Ladies of the Lake' though they obviously weren't mythological entities from the enchanted lake situated atop High High Peak in the High High Mountains, north of the Town of Worcestershire.

Three of the four maidens all waved and cheered for Lancelot, though this was only a regular target practise and nothing special.

Artie's theory was that the Fair Maidens were only there by Lancelot's command; so the jousting captain could keep his target's popularity at a record low and rub in the fact how unpopular he was.

Guineviere of Galorus however, could see plainly that this was not a special or significantly different event, and she was preoccupying herself with the latest copy of _Medieval Vogue_ and chewing on a new piece of bubble gum.

* * *

The itch on Artie's right ear began to grow intensely; up to the point where Artie was ready to yank off the cursed bucket helm and scratch away the irritation. He didn't… But only because he knew from previous experience that taking off the bucket helm resulted in an instant pummelling from the entire jousting team; mostly because they thought he was trying to get away.

Artie's pale green eyes began to water slightly from the irritation. God… if only Lance would just hurry up and knock him off of this stupid makeshift horse. The human target tried to itch his ear with his right shoulder, which only caused the eyeholes on the helmet to spin around to the wrong side. Then Artie was back to the dilemma of trying to get the eyeholes back into place.

It was at this time, while Artie was unable to see, when Lancelot commanded his steed forwards. The gorgeous chestnut-brown steed neighed dramatically, rearing up on its hind hooves from a moment before charging at full speed towards the human target.

Artie heard the horse's neigh and felt the hooves pounding against the grass-bared stadium. He weakly held up the unbalanced lance in the general direction where he could sense Lancelot's approach.

The human target wasn't too far off; he had only _just_ missed hitting Lancelot's armoured leg by at most a foot. Lancelot Du Lac, however, had hit Artie's chest target right in the bull's-eye. The frail teenager was launched off of his wooden steed through the slightly chilly afternoon air.

Artie landed back first on an unwelcoming patch of worn-out dirt with a loud thump. He weakly lifted up his arms as the unbalanced lance was doomed to come down onto him. Rather that the deafening clank of the lance missing his prepared arms and hitting him on the bucket helm he had tuned into, Artie managed to miss hearing two pairs of footsteps rushing into the stadium.

Now, obviously unbalanced lances don't have that long of an airtime –no matter how high Artie had been launched across the field-, so Artie felt that it was safe to pull off his helmet.

"Are you alright?" Two voices asked simultaneously.

Artie opened his pale green eyes. The fallen teen saw a tall boy with honey-blonde hair and electric-blue eyes standing with the unbalanced lance in his hands and girl about his height knelt beside him with a concerned look on her freckled face and wide hazel-brown eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

See… I think it's a much more interesting introductory chapter.

But what do you readers think?

**MG#6**


	2. Ashir and Jake

**Author's Note:**

And now continuing with the rewrite!

* * *

**Chapter II**

"Hey…" The girl with hazel-brown eyes spoke softly to that fallen teenager. "You okay?" She enquired.

"Y-Yeah." Artie stammered.

In all of his years at Worcestershire Academy, not one person had ever shown genuine concern to him. Well, not to his face at least… and not without the look of pity mixed in their expression.

"Here…" The girl and the boy heaved Artie under the armpits, placing him back onto his feet.

Artie looked at them with an odd expression on his face. The boy with honey-blonde hair and electric-blue eyes was at least a head taller than Artie and wore the same red on green patterned academy uniform for the male students. The girl with light brown hair, freckled cheeks and hazel-brown eyes wore a pair of thick indigo robes with light yellow stars weaved into the fabric over the regular blue on red patterned academy uniform for the female students.

The tall boy handed Artie back his unbalanced lance and then glanced at the indigo-robed girl. She nodded, picked up a lengthy maple wood staff from the dusty ground of the stadium, and shouldered a batter-up rucksack. Then the two teenagers walked down the length of the jousting stadium towards Lancelot and the rest of the jousting team.

"Wait!" Artie called out, knowing that if anyone this out-of-the-ordinary interacted with Lancelot or the jousting team in general that trouble was bound to come soon afterwards.

* * *

Arthur's plea to the strange teenagers wasn't heard, as the neighing horse and its equally noisy rider easily blocked out any additional sounds.

"Hey." The girl wearing indigo robes looked up at Lancelot Du Lac with her hands planted on her hips defiantly. Her eyes narrowed irately at the jousting team's captain as she waited for his response.

"What?" Lance sneered down at the light brunette girl. But this time Artie had finally caught up with the two teenagers and was looking oddly at the girl.

"What's the big idea of using a human target for practise?" She demanded. "Aren't _you_ aware that _someone_ could get hurt?" She pointed a finger firstly at Lance to emphasize _'you' _then a thumb at Artie to emphasize _'someone'_.

* * *

Lancelot Du Lac and his entire jousting team laughed mockingly at the girl. The girl's face didn't change; neither did the taller boy's calm and collected look, nor Artie's confused expression.

Finally Lance and his goons stopped laughing so Lance could utter something. "_Someone_?" He snorted and rolled his deep green eyes. "Artie's a _no one_." He snickered a bit. "Where have you been for the past three years?"

"I've been right here, attending Worcestershire Academy." The girl pouted with narrowed eyes. "Just like any other student."

Lancelot let out a rolling laugh; he hopped off of his horse smoothly, either to avoid falling off of the steed from laughter or to avoid scaring the poor quadruped from his laughter.

Once Lance stopped he answered with a raised eyebrow. "At least where have you been during this spare period all of these years."

"Well…" The girl folded her arms over her chest. "Right now I would be studying the magical arts with Mister Merlin however since-."

She was cut off with another storm of horrendously loud laughs, these ones echoing through the entire school from the whole jousting team.

"That old head case?" Lancelot hollered through nearly gut-busting laughter. "Didn't he have a nervous breakdown and get kicked out of the academy this morning?"

The girl frowned. "He's retired from his position at the academy, so now I don't have time to study magic with him; since he's not here any longer…" She pursed her lips irritably and looked away from the captain.

Lancelot wiped the tears –caused by laughing so hard- from his piercingly green eyes. He smoothed his hand over his flushed face and pushed back some of his damp black bangs from his sweaty forehead.

"Oh god… I haven't laughed that hard in weeks." He looked down at the girl. "You're probably as loony as that old geezer anyways."

"Don't call my granduncle that!" The girl snarled loudly. Blood rushed to her face from anger. "He is not crazy, and neither am I!"

"Woh, woh…" Lancelot smirked as he found a sensitive nerve that use against this girl. "You're not that same witch who roasted my boots in freshmen year."

"I'd prefer to be called a sorceress, since I am no longer a wizard's apprentice, but yes." The girl's face lit up pleasantly as she reminisced on the particular event with a smug smirk. "I do recall casting a fire spell on your boots in first year."

* * *

Lancelot growled dangerously as he edged closer to the light brunette girl. Neither the girl nor the tall boy accompanying her moved an inch. Artie however took a step backwards, nervous from Lancelot's wrath even when it wasn't directed to him.

"You owe me a new pair of boots, witch." Lance spat angrily.

"Oh please." The girl rolled her hazel-brown eyes at the team captain. "You, yourself were complaining about how they fitted the first moment you got into class; I merely liberated your _'aching'_ feet." She raised an eyebrow. "And I do believe I have a name that you can call me, besides _witch_."

Lancelot snorted. "Yeah, rhymes with it and starts with a-" The jousting team's captain was cut off when the girl abruptly grabbed his face, slamming shut his large mouth.

She pulled the loudmouth's face close to hers and spoke intensely. "Ashir, Merlin…" She sounded out carefully. "Ash-ear, Mmm-er-lin… Do I make myself clear?" She raised an eyebrow and released the jousting captain's jaw.

"Crystal." Lancelot sneered down at the girl know as Ashir Merlin as he rubbed his chin.

"Thank you." Ashir nodded contently. "Let's go, Jake." She stated to the tall honey-blonde-haired boy at her right side.

* * *

Ashir and Jake then exited the jousting stadium without further conflict.

Guineviere and her bimbo friends had rushed over to Lancelot's aid, to check if he was hurt from the _'horrible witch'_.

Artie silently snuck out from the jousting stadium, taking his chances to follow Ashir and Jake.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Kind of a menacing introduction to Ashir's character and Jake isn't really as expressive; however these all will change dramatically as I continue with this story's rewrite.

**MG#6**


	3. Fast Friends

**Author's Note:**

Hurray, third chapter of the rewrite! Sorry it took so horrendously long to finish this chapter, I was busy working on some of my other fanfics…

* * *

**Chapter III**

As Arthur Pendragon successfully slipped away from the jousting team's clutches, the first thing he heard when he stepped out into the stonewalled hallway was laughter. Loud, juvenile laughter...

Nervously, the sandy-blonde-haired student looked down the hallway to see Ashir Merlin and her companion Jake laughing aloud. Artie raised an eyebrow in curiosity and then silently walked towards the two teenagers.

Ashir cleared away the tears formed in her hazel-brown eyes from laughing so hard and looked up to meet Artie's pale green eyes.

"Oh, hey…" She smiled. "So you're Arthur Pendragon?" The sorceress enquired.

"Um…"

Artie was slightly surprised at Ashir's friendliness, usually people's greeting to him were more along the hostile lines of _'Oh… it's you'_.

"Yeah… But call me Artie."

Ashir nodded. "No problem." She held out a hand. "I'm Ashir Merlin." Artie nervously shook it.

The tall boy, named Jake, smiled widely. "Name's Jacob Pearson, but everyone calls me Jake." He took his turn at shaking Arthur's hand in greeting.

Artie cleared his throat. "So, uh, I just wanted to thank you two for saving my butt back there."

Ashir chuckled warmly and smiled brilliantly. "Think nothing of it, Artie." She stated. "Had I know earlier of the whole human target thing, I would've handled it then."

"No, I've got to thank you." Artie stated. "It's how I was brought up." He insisted.

"Well." Ashir blushed slightly from embarrassment. "Then… you're welcome." She cleared her throat uneasily. "Anyways, it's almost lunchtime. Would you like to join us, Artie?"

Artie looked blankly at the two teenagers. "Are you two for real, or did I hit my head really hard when I landed?" He poked them both in the arm curiously.

Ashir giggled. "If that's a _yes_ then come on." She beckoned kindly.

The two saviours headed for the academy's cafeteria while Artie paused a half-beat. His luck couldn't get any better that entire day.

Well… _obviously_ if Guineviere accepted an offering to go out, assuming he could muster enough courage to ask her, then that would put the icing on the cake.

* * *

It was surprisingly cool in the cafeteria, compared to the slightly warm outdoors. The three teenagers filed into the lengthy line up at the cafeteria's buffet.

"Hey, Ashir." Artie started a conversation. "How come we haven't met before?" He enquired. "I mean with those robes on, you…"

"Stand out from the crowd?" Ashir finished Artie's statement.

"Yeah…"

Ashir picked up a wooden lunch tray and scooted down the line. "I usually only wear them when I'm practising magic and then take them off for my other classes. But now…" The sorceress sighed and forced a smile. "Well, I might as well stand out in the crowd now." She shrugged nonchalantly.

Artie smirked. "You're doing a pretty good job of it." He chuckled.

Ashir nudged Artie playfully in the shoulder as they approached the food the cafeteria ladies had cooked up. There was an assortment of disgusting _foods_ in the buffet, from roasted mutton to a slimy slug lurking in a cast iron pot.

The most edible food presented was a small roasted fowl sliced into small sections accompanied by some fried potatoes. The three teenagers each ordered one of these lunches, as well as a bottle of the peasant brew –which was basically _really_ watered down ale mixed with some nice-tasting herbs- due to the fact that fresh, drinkable water was scarce in these parts of Worcestershire. The total was three shillings -the _ale_ taking most of the cost- and the teenagers left the lunch line.

Arthur enjoyed the first lunch he had ever had in all of the years of attending Worcestershire Academy with someone other than himself.

* * *

Nearing the end of the school day, after their last class, the three friends met in the central courtyard where the communal carriages were loading up their passengers.

Most of the academy's students lived just outside of the school's limits and once class was over, they took the communal carriages home for the night. Others, who lived further from the academy, only left the school on holidays, and lived in the school's dormitories.

Jake, Ashir and Artie stood out in the main courtyard, they were lying on the green grass surround in the courtyard and each waited for the academy to calm down.

"Do either of you take the carriage?" Artie enquired.

Jake sighed. "Well… I _used_ to, my parents live in the Town of Worcestershire, just North of here." He shrugged. "But in freshmen year, I got tired of waking up really early and coming home late for dinner everyday, so I worked the entire summer between freshmen and sophomore year doing odd jobs around town to get enough cash for the dormitories here…"

"What about you, Ashir?" Artie asked, folding his hands behind his head as he leaned back into the grass.

"Well…" Ashir fiddled with a piece of grass between her fingers. "I was already working my way into dormitory costs for this academy -before my granduncle was offered the position as Magic teacher- because the closest place that I can call home is actually pretty far away." She pushed some of her loose light brunette bangs behind her ears and sighed. "I usually stay at the school most of the time, and go to Jake's house for the summer holidays." Ashir looked over Artie inquisitively. "What about you Artie?"

Artie sighed, turning over onto his back and looking up into the darkening evening sky. "I don't really have a home to go to…" He stated. "So I usually spend the summer holidays in some orphanage or somewhere with my cousin, Morgan."

"Oh." Ashir bit her bottom lip and looked over the young man. "Well… maybe you could stay with me and Jake over the holidays." She offered with a smile and then glanced at her taller friend. "I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind, Jake."

"No, they'd be more than happy to have an extra hand around the forge." Jake stated. "We should visit them sometime, maybe this Christmas, to see if they'll agree."

"Yeah…" Ashir agreed with a warm smile.

"Listen." Artie looked over the two other teenagers. "I'm really glad you're offering this. It's really generous of you, but…" He sighed. "I can't accept your offer." Artie rubbed her back of his neck nervously and he looked up. "When I graduate from this place, I plan on striking out on my own and finding a new home for myself."

"Oh." Ashir looked away, crest-fallen. "But you could still probably come over the Christmas holidays."

"Um…" Artie bit his bottom lip. "I guess so…" He shrugged.

"It'll be great." Ashir reassured warmly.

The evening's darkness began to cast shadows across the academy's courtyard.

"Well…" The young woman sighed and stood from the ground. "I'll see you two tomorrow." She brushed off the front of her robes, smiled and waved. "Good night."

"Good night, Ashir." Artie and Jake simultaneously called out to her.

The young sorceress then left the courtyard for the girls' dormitories.

The two teenage boys stood up and shouldered their rucksacks. They began walking towards the boys' dormitories.

"So…" Artie folded his arms over his chest casually. "Are you and Ashir an item?"

"What?" Jake exclaimed.

"You know…" Artie chuckled. "Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Jake chuckled uneasily. "Not really…" He rubbed the back of his head. "Ashir's kind of like a little sister to me." He cleared his throat. "And anyways, I've got my eyes on someone else."

"Really…" Artie raised an eyebrow. "And who would that be?"

"You know Doctor Percival?" Jake started.

"Yeah…" Artie shrugged. "His office is right by our dormitories…"

"Well, I like his daughter, Mary…" Jake stated.

"Oh." Artie smirked. "Does she know?"

"Not yet…" Jake shrugged. "Maybe someday I'll get enough courage to ask her out to a dance or something." He shuddered. "I'm more concerned about her father… you know."

"Yeah." Artie shuddered equally. "He's kind of, scary…"

Jake nodded. "And he's really protective of Mary, so I'm kind of stuck."

Artie shrugged. "Maybe you'll get a chance, someday."

Jake chuckled, casually stretching his hands out in front of him. "I sure hope so, Artie-man…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Again, sorry for the wait… and I leave you with this chapter for now; that is, until I can manage my life and get some inspiration to continue the rewrite.

**MG#6**


	4. Room Mates and Plots

**Author's Note: **

Hmm… I think I might have some inspiration developing… _Maybe._

* * *

**Chapter IV**

"So, he's really gone?" Ashir sat atop the navy-blue covers of her bed in her dorm room.

"Yup." Morgan le Fay –Ashir's roommate- stated plainly. "Don't think the school wants him back." The black-haired girl glanced at the young sorceress with cautious rust-red eyes.

Then she turned towards one of her active potion sets and began observing what had condensed at the bottom of a glass beaker. She tapped the sheet of metal over the glass with a black-painted fingernail and it congealed instantaneously.

"So this sucks." The pale black mage stated, writing down her observations onto a piece of parchment with a fountain pen. "Now I'll actually have a spare period to hang with Meleagant."

Ashir chuckled. "You make hanging out with you boyfriend sound like a chore." She smiled and took her hair out of its ponytail to brush it.

Morgan glared icily at the light brunette sorceress. "He's not my boyfriend." She growled.

Suddenly there was a tap of a small stone hitting the main window of their dormitory. Ashir crawled over her bed to open the window, ready to tease the couple, but Morgan reached the window first, carrying her guitar case in one hand.

"Morgana." Meleagant of Hellus' smooth voice called up through the window as Morgan quickly opened it.

The nineteen-year-old student stood at ground level with an electric guitar slung over his back.

"Need me to charge the amps, Melea?" Morgan enquired bluntly, simultaneously keeping her giggling roommate quiet.

"Yeah." Melea raised an eyebrow. "Not only that… Donavan and Cedric got us a gig for midnight in a town just a few miles West of here." He motioned to a carriage just on the road exiting the dormitories, there sat the Knight in Black Satin's drummer and lead guitarist, who were both identical twins.

Morgan nodded. She shouldered her bass guitar and climbed out onto the windowsill. Skilfully, as she had done this many times before, Morgan le Fay grasped the lattice of ivy outside the window and she began climbing down to ground level.

"Be back before breakfast." Ashir stated with a smirk on her face. "I hate for you to get expelled in senior year and then I wouldn't have a roommate."

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, as if I _need_ another demerit on my school record." She scuffed. "See ya."

The black mage leapt the last few feet from the wall of the dormitories and she walked to Meleagant's side. The lead singer for the Knights in Black Satin escorted the bass guitarist towards the black and red carriage. Their dark clothing seemed to blend in with the night's darkness and they vanished from sight.

Ashir chuckled lightly. She left the window partially open, more to allow a breeze into the room so she could avoid suffocating from whatever Morgan was brewing rather than provide Morgan with an easy way of getting back into the room. Ashir had seen many times over the three years of being Morgan le Fay's roommate that the other sorceress was very capable of entering the room through the window, even if it was locked, from her black magical talents.

Finally the young woman extinguished the few lanterns around her dorm room, lowered the intensity of the flame below one of the vials on Morgan's potion set, and then crawled under her bed's covers.

"Hmm…" Ashir thought aloud. "I forgot to mention that I saved her cousin today." She paused for a moment and then shrugged, turning over onto her side and leaning against her pillow. "Oh well, I can't let pride get to my head." The young woman yawned tiredly and closed her hazel-brown eyes.

* * *

Ashir, Jake and Artie sat together once again during breakfast. The academy's cafeteria was quieter than expected, due to the fact that the majority of the academy students lived close by and were communal carriage passengers. The yellow carriages wouldn't likely arrive at the academy's front gate until the span of time between breakfast and first class.

Today's meal was a combination of cold leftovers and unappetizing porridge. Jake unenthusiastically prodded a wooden spoon into his portion of porridge, watching the utensil get swallowed in the grey sludge before wrenching it back to the surface. Artie silently ate the cold food from his plate, as breakfast was one of the few meals in which he was guaranteed to have because of the jousting team's absence. A few teachers entered the cafeteria, drawing out the unerring silence at their table. Ashir looked at each of her companions in turn and then set down her utensils.

"Okay…" She sighed. "What's up?"

"What do you mean?" Artie asked.

Ashir smiled knowingly. "It's either that you're too tired to be cheerful or something's up." She stated.

"Ashir…" Jake looked across the table at the brunette girl. "I need some advice."

"Me too." Artie stated.

Ashir pushed aside her food and set her hands down on the table. The young sorceress looked around and scooted closer to the two teenage boys. "What _kind_ of advice?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…" Artie cleared his throat. "You know…" He tried to find appropriate words.

"Girl advice." Jake stated.

"Um…" Ashir drew a momentary blank. "Like… what?"

Jake rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I like Mary Percival." He glanced up at the young sorceress.

"Okay…" Ashir pushed some of her loose bangs behind her ears and then looked at Artie. "And what about you?" She enquired.

"Um. Guineviere." Artie twiddled his thumbs guiltily.

Ashir inhaled slowly and then exhaled. "So, what is it you want… advice-wise?"

"We need your help!" The two boys blurted out simultaneously.

"Yeah, I figured as much." Ashir smirked slightly. "So what can I do?"

"Well…" Artie sighed miserably. "I can't get enough courage to ask Guineviere out, much less talk to her without saying something stupid or sounding like a complete idiot."

"And I really want to tell Mary that I like her." Jake stated. "But I'm kind of nervous about her father…"

There was a lengthy pause between the three friends as Ashir brooded over the situations carefully. She tapped her chin in thought and then looked over her two male friends in turn.

"This… might be more challenging than I intentionally thought." Ashir sighed. "But give me a few classes to think it over."

"But-" The boys interjected.

"No 'buts'…" Ashir narrowed her hazel-brown eyes in a warning. "This requires some time to plan…"

The two teenage boys groaned loudly moments before the front gate of the academy drawbridge clanked open and the communal carriages entered the academy one by one.

"I'll probably have something cooked up by spare class or lunch." Ashir shouldered her rucksack and disposed of her tableware. "Hang in there until then." She smiled softly at the grumbling boys, and then she exited the cafeteria.

Then the clock tower bell sounded out, warning the academy's students that their first class was about to start. The two teenaged boys half-heartedly lifted themselves from the table, disposed of their half-eaten breakfasts, and began trudging towards their first classes.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I hate to compare this rewrite with the story's original (which is kind of funny when you see the reviews that didn't get deleted because they're pretty inconsistent) but this version, I feel, provides a much fuller introduction to the main and secondary characters; that way everything is more fleshed out.

Umm… well, that's how I feel.

**MG#6**


	5. Ashir's Grand Plan

**Author's Note:**

Hmm… finally back on track, had some other things to work on before. Anyway, I'll see what I can do on this fic, that is, before I go into another phase of writer's block or general procrastination.

* * *

**Chapter V**

Artie paced around on the spot, impatient from waiting all of this time for Ashir to come up with her grand plan. He and Jake were waiting by the sword in the stone in the centre of the school's courtyard. It was halfway through the spare period and Ashir hadn't yet shown up.

"Maybe we're wasting our time, Jake." Artie looked frankly to his new friend. "I mean, what if Ashir couldn't think up something?"

"Now, now…" Jake looked back at his impatient friend. "Ashir's definitely going to be able to think up something; she has her own way of looking at things from every angle. Maybe we'll just have to wait until lunch."

"Wait no longer, my friends." Ashir's cheerful called from behind them. "I have devised a master plan!"

"You have?" Artie exclaimed.

"Told ya." Jake stated, hopping off of the smooth surface of the large stone. "So… what is it?"

"Well." Ashir smiled a bit and idly pushed back some bangs from her hazel-brown eyes. "Since it's courage that you and Jake seem to be short on, I've decided to make up a series of challenges for you to complete…" She smiled more widely. "I think it'll help boost each of you with confidence, which in turn will give you courage. Then… who knows what'll happen?"

"Challenges?" Artie raised an eyebrow curiously. "Like what?"

"I'd hate to ruin the suspense, dear Artie." Ashir smirked. "I'll assigned a challenge to the both of you at the start of each spare period –you'll either meet me here or I'll leave a message- that way you'll have spare period and lunch to finish the task; if required." She paused and looked at both of the males. "What do you think?"

Jake and Artie looked at each other, then back at Ashir. "Let's do it." They stated confidently.

"Good." Ashir smiled approvingly. "But since we don't have that much time left in our spare period, your first challenge will be tomorrow."

* * *

"So Morgan; how was the gig?" Ashir enquired as she lay spread-eagled on the top of her bed sheets and she glanced at her roommate.

"Hmph." Morgan tapped yet another vial against the side of her desk to inspect it as she synthesized another dangerous-looking potion. "It was fine. The crowd was decent."

"You seem, glum." Ashir rolled onto her stomach and looked at the other magician.

"Well." Morgan spun around on her stool to grab something from her bag of potion ingredients. "You see after the gig was over…" She plucked a mauve feather out of it and dropped it into a flask. "…We were rewarded with some ale, and it was much more powerful than the chamber pot filth from this school…" A small explosion burst from the mouth of the flask, after which Morgan poured to contents of the flask into a beaker hovering over a small fire. "…Melea and I drank most of the ale, and…" She looked almost angrily at the beaker as its contents began to bubble. "…Melea kissed me."

"So…" Ashir was stunned with confusion, she soon regain her composure to raise her head from the top of her bed. "Did you pushing him away, or get into a fight, or break up?"

Morgan's silence, following Ashir's line of questions, led the aforementioned sorceress to believe that the answer to all of her questions was a "no"'.

The black mage sighed. "I'm getting in too deep…" She muttered more to herself than to her roommate.

This confirmed Ashir's thoughts.

* * *

_The next morning, at spare period…_

The moment the period began, Jake and Artie met up and rushed towards the sword-impaled stone at the centre of the academy's courtyard. Among much of the student's graffiti scrawled across the surface of the stone, there was a small ruin just before the blade of the sword.

Artie raised an eyebrow and traced the engraved rune with his forefinger. It glowed a deep blue and, after a brief flash of light, a piece of parchment appeared.

The young man picked up the note and read it, Jake looked at it over his shoulder:

_Ha, if this is Arthur Pendragon and Jacob Pearson then my transportation charm was a success! _

_Anyway, I would've given you two a signal later on if this note didn't appear. Moving along to the task at hand, your duty is to escape from a mad stampede of pixies that were cut loose this morning from the Enchanted Creature Study Hall by the jousting team. You will also have to escape any hordes of students, who will likely be panicking from the pixies' magic, as well as the jousting team… who have the cage of pixies._

_If you can retrieve the cage from Lance -some how- and find the pixy bell inside the Enchanted Creatures Study Hall; then the rampage of pixies will halt once you return to pixy bell to its cage and tap it twice. _

_Avoid contact with any of the pixies, especially if they expel a sparkly golden cloud of magic. To cure someone from pixy magic panic, douse his or her head in cold water._

_Good Luck!_

_Ashir Merlin._

Artie looked up from the parchment blankly. "This has got to be some sort of joke." He stated.

Suddenly, a shrieking ball of magic came whirring towards them. The two males only dodged the blast in a nick of time before it hit a cheerleader behind them square in the face.

The cheerleader dropped her pom-poms immediately and began screaming at the top of her lungs, flailing her arms, and running around the courtyard. It wasn't long before a cloud of golden magic soon began to expand across the courtyard, catching more people unawares.

"Nope, it's for real." Jake stated, looking at Artie.

Artie looked tensely around the courtyard, for a gap that had not yet been encroached by the pixies' magic. He spotted a corridor to the east end of the school.

"There, we need to get to that Study Hall!" Artie exclaimed; pocketing the piece of parchment and diving under the golden clouds to reach the corridor, Jake quickly followed him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hmm… that seems to have sparked my motivation… A bit little at least.

**MG#6**


	6. Blasts, Bells and Books

**Author's Note:**

There's a horde of mad pixies on rampage at Worcestershire Academy? Well how 'bout that…

Sorry for the excruciatingly-long wait. I've been juggling a LOT of things lately, but enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter VI**

While crowds of students were starting to scream at the top of their voices and panic from the rampant pixies' magic, Artie and Jake were running down the hallways at top speed, trying to reach the Study Hall.

They reached the large room, its double doors were wide open and a variety of magical creatures were roving about. A young girl, looking to be their age, was caught between two dangerous-looking beasts.

Rather than wearing the usual school uniform, this girl wore a short yellow sundress with dainty gold sandals. She had curly strawberry-blonde hair that fell to her chin, and wide sapphire-blue eyes.

Jake recognized her immediately and hurried to her. "Mary, don't move!" He yelled heroically.

"Jake?" Mary Percival looked frightfully at Jake. "They're Fire Crabs!" She stated. "If you get too close, they'll harm you."

"Harm me?" Jake scoffed, as he entered the Study Hall, with Artie at his side. "They're turtles with crab legs, how the he could they-"

Before Jake could finish his question, the two bejewelled fire crabs turned around and expelled blasts of fire from their rear ends. The two teenaged boys were caught in the blast, and crashed back first into the granite walls of the room.

"Ow…" Jake was the first to recuperate. "I guess I spoke too soon…" He shook the ringing from his head.

When the ringing failed to cease, he looked up and noticed a small golden bell with tiny wings fluttering about the room.

"Artie." Jake stood up. "That must be the pixy bell!" He pointed to the bell.

"Huh?" Artie pulled out the note from Ashir and noticed a small sketched of the aforementioned bell on its reverse, accompanied by a small sketch of a beady-eyed pixy. He looked back at the bell and nodded. "I think you're right, but how are we going to get it?"

Jake eyed a row of tables and bookshelves, however the ferocious fire crabs guarded them well. "You get the bell, I'll try to distract those things." He nodded towards the fire crabs. Artie nodded and began running towards the pixy bell.

* * *

The tall teenager pulled an intentionally decorative sword from its wall socket and flourished it with ease. He looked at the fire crabs and charged towards them.

The fire crabs launched a barrage of fireballs from their rear ends, Jake agily dodged the blasts and kept gaining ground on the beasts. The young man leapt over the back of one of the fire crabs -distracting the beast- and kicked the second fire crab in the head. The injured fire crab retracted into its shell while the firing a blast towards Jake.

Jake leapt out of the path of the blast and the first fire crab was hit by the fire ball. The two fire crabs scurried away from the teenagers back into their cages. Mary then slammed the cage shut and smiled at Jake.

"Mary?" Jake rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Yes?"

"Doyouwannagoout?" Jake asked feverishly.

"What?" Mary raised an eyebrow.

Jake cleared his throat. "I was wondering... if you wanted to go out... on a date... with me?"

"Oh..." Mary's fair face flushed up. "I'm not too sure Jake." She timidly rubbed her arm. "You're a great guy and all... but my father's _really_ protective of me..."

"Yeah..." Jake looked away. "I know..."

Mary smiled. "But I'll see what I can do..." She stated.

Jake couldn't stop his smile.

Suddenly, a yell from across the room, drew the two teenagers' attention from each other.

"Guys!" Artie was suspended from the ceiling by his feet by a swarm of bat-like creatures. "Help!"

"I suppose I should intervene, after all..." A voice came from across the Study Hall.

The three teenagers looked at a being in the doorway of the Magical Creatures' Study Hall. It was Ashir, who had a long maple staff casually slung over her shoulders, and a smirk on her freckled face.

"Besides, I know you're going to need some help distracting the jousting team."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yes, I got most of the beasts from Harry Potter... they'd fit well in the Shrek universe.

**MG#6**


	7. Dark Fairies

**Author's Note:**

Oh gee… school work, holidays, writing other fanfics; a LOT has been getting in the way of my ability to continue writing this fanfic. Oh well, enjoy and thank you so much for the reviews!

* * *

**Chapter VII**

"This is the best idea you've ever had, Lance!" Lionel of Gaunes hooted as he watched a group of screaming freshmen pass by the entrance to the jousting stadium.

"Yeah, what a laugh!" Lionel's younger brother –Bohort the Younger- chuckled.

"I know, right?" Lancelot smirked and smoothed a hand through his bangs.

His arm was wrapped around the golden cage that had once contained the pixies, and a shimmering aura surrounded his group like a crystal dome. As long as that magical barrier remained intact, they were safe from the pixies' magic.

"Those suckers don't stand a chance…" The green-eyed jouster chortled.

* * *

"Get them away!" Artie yelled as he flailed his arms in front of his face. More of the bat-like creatures had escaped their dwellings to swarm the group of teenagers.

"We need to stop them before they escape and wreck havoc on the academy!" Ashir shouted, swinging her maple staff at the creatures.

"What are these things anyways?" Jake hollered.

"Dark Fairies…" Ashir stated, grasping one bat-like creature and holding it by the ends of its wings top reveal that there was a tiny human-like being attached to the appendages. "They're nightmares in caves, 'cause they blend right in with normal bats." Ashir tossed the Dark Fairy into the small cage they had been released from and slammed shut the door.

"How do we stop them?" Jake asked.

Ashir furrowed her brow and pondered for a moment. "They don't like heat…" She thought aloud.

"The heat?" Artie quickly looked across the room at the caged fire crabs. "Of course." His eyes widened as he formulated a plan. "Jake, get one of those fire crabs angry!"

"WHAT?" Jake's jaw dropped. "Are you crazy, Artie? We already have enough on our hands!"

"Just trust me!" Artie hurried across the room.

Jake sighed and turned towards the caged fire crabs. "Hey bright eyes, bet'cha can't hit me!" He swung his decorative sword towards the bejewelled turtle with crab legs.

The fire crab hissed loudly, turning around and expelling a blast of fire at Jake. The blonde teenager ducked out of the way just as the swarm of Dark Fairies were charging at Artie, trying to stop him from getting the Pixy Bell.

The fire blast hit the swarm of Dark Fairies, the heat stunning the creatures, and Artie grabbed the enchanted bell.

"Got it!" Artie yelled victoriously.

"Great job." Ashir smiled warmly as she began harvesting the fallen Dark Fairies and tossing them back into their appropriate cages. "But we still need to get the Pixy Bell to its cage, and Lance still has the cage…" She shut the cage, locking it tight and made her way towards the entrance of the study hall.

"What's so important about this cage, anyways?" Artie enquired, following Ashir out of the Enchanted Creatures' Study Hall.

Ashir rubbed the back of her head. "It acts as a shield against the pixies' magic…" She stated.

"Oh…" Artie sighed. "So while Lance still has that cage, he won't be affected by the pixies' magic."

"Right," Ashir nodded. "Let's go…" She hurried down the corridor towards the jousting stadium.

Neither of the friends had in fact noticed that Jake and Mary hadn't followed them out of the study hall.

* * *

"You were very brave, you know," Mary smiled at Jake as the taller teenager was being bandaged up for a burn injury.

The two teenagers sat at one of the tables in the antechamber of the Enchanted Creatures' Study Hall hall, in which the library resided.

Mary scoffed a little as she wrapped the wound, "it was probably the stupidest thing that anyone could've done…" she smiled warmly, "but nonetheless it was brave."

Jake chuckled lightly, wincing slightly as Mary finished binding the wound, "So how 'bout that date?"

Mary looked up from her healing, her bright sapphire-blue eyes meeting Jake's electric-blue eyes before she looked away, "I can't…" she said softly and sighed, "my dad… he's so protective of me… it's hard to explain, but…" Her eyes began to water, nearing tears.

"Shh…" Jake gently cupped Mary's chin and looked into her eyes. "Please don't cry." He begged. "I'd never want to make you cry…"

Mary smiled; "okay…" she quickly wiped her eyes and stood from the table. "I need to go, Jake… my dad will be concerned if I'm out for too long without prior notice…" She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," Jake smiled nonchalantly, "You just be careful out there, Mary…" He stated.

Mary nodded, turning away and hurrying back to her father's office by the boy's dormitories. She had left the building without a backwards glance, had she done so… she would've undoubtedly spotted the crestfallen look on Jacob Pearson's face.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, who knows when I'll next update… but you guys hang in there until then!

**MG#6**


	8. Getting the Golden Cage

**Author's Note:**

Well, I decided to push myself (writing-wise) to get this chapter finished and posted before my Christmas holidays, as a present to you who are still faithful to this story.

Ta-Da!

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

Ashir and Artie dodged the shimmering clouds of golden dust as they made their way to the back entrance of the jousting stadium. When there were jousting tournaments, a rare event even in this jousting-crazed academy, this entrance was often used to file the spectators into the bleachers surrounding the stadium.

The two students crept along the benches on their hands and knees, so the jousters wouldn't see them.

"That's it…" Ashir pointed to the golden cage in Lancelot's arms.

Artie peered over a bench, looked at the cage, and then looked at the tiny bell in his hands, "got any plans?" he asked Ashir.

The sorceress paused -tapping her chin as she thought- then a horse whinnied from their end of the stadium. She looked over the quadruped as she pondered then an idea spun into her mind.

"I've got it." She smiled, "we'll use those horses over there as a distraction, then pinch the pixy cage from Lancelot!"

"Okay," Artie's pale green eyes darted from the horses to Lancelot then back to Ashir, "and just how are we going to do that?" he demanded a little too loudly.

"Shh…" Ashir pressed a finger over Artie's lips and checked over the bench to see if any of the jousters had noticed.

Thankfully for the two friends, the athletes weren't too observant, and continued watching over the cage.

"Here's what you are going to do." Ashir instructed calmly. "You need to scare the horses until they run across the stadium, so I have some cover to grab the cage from Lance."

Artie huffed. "You're asking the wrong guy for scaring," he stated, "I can't even scare myself…"

"Horses are pretty easy to scare, Artie," Ashir stated, "just, jump in front of them or something…"

"Yeah, and get trampled…" Artie rolled his eyes and then sighed, "fine… I'll find a way to scare them," he looked at the brunette girl, "but how are you going to get the cage?"

"Easy," Ashir shrugged, as if it were obvious, "once you've scared the horses into a stampede, I'll run among them then dart out of the crowd when I pass by Lancelot."

"But, you could get hurt…" Artie stated involuntarily.

Ashir smiled weakly, "I appreciate your concern Artie, but don't worry," she patted the head of her maple staff reassuringly, "magic does have its advantages…"

"Okay," Artie looked away, but Ashir could still tell that he was unconvinced.

"Look…" Ashir gently grasped Artie's chin and turn him to face her. "I'll be alright," she smiled softly; "just trust me on this, okay?"

"Okay…" Artie said softly, and then scooted down the aisle of the bleachers until he neared the horses.

Ashir silently crept among the benches until she was a closer to the jousters, yet far enough so they wouldn't notice her.

* * *

Artie did about everything in the nonexistent book of how to scare things. He jumped up and down in front of the horses, yelled "Boo" several times, and waved his arms about frantically. There was no way that these four-legged animals were going to get scared.

Before he could give up on the plan, Artie remembered the pixy bell that he was nearly-crushing in his hands. He smirked and released the winged-bell.

The high-pitched ringing emitted from the bell jolted the horses until they were so frightened that they broke into a stampede, heading for the other end of the jousting stadium.

Artie quickly caught the pixy bell in his hands, before the enchanted object had a chance to escape once more, and he darted into the shadows so the jousting team wouldn't spot him.

* * *

Ashir ran at full speed across the jousting stadium, towards the jousters and among the tromping hooves of the frightened horses.

The jousters, having seen the uprising of the horses, leapt to their feet. Lance watched the scared quadrupeds and his grip on the golden cage momentarily loosened.

Ashir swift darted from the crowd of horses, as she was covered from the russet dust that the horses were kicking up, and she snatched the golden cage from Lance's hands.

The captain of the jousting team didn't notice the change in weight on his hands as the protective shield was lifted from around his companions and he was hit with a full dose of pixy magic.

* * *

While the members of the jousting team were running around, screaming their heads off and flailing their arms in a frantic panic, Ashir hurried to the sidelines where Artie was waiting. Artie held the Pixy Bell in his hand and looked at the screaming jousters with an air of triumph.

"You sure we have to stop this?" He enquired.

"Yes, Artie," Ashir stated flatly, "even though this isn't nearly what the jousting team deserves for making life miserable here, there are a lot of people affected by the pixy magic panic."

"Yeah…" Artie shrugged and placed the Pixy Bell within the golden cage.

The protective barrier surrounding them dispelled for a moment too late, and the two friends' eyes widened in horror.

"The magic…" Ashir squeaked as she felt a scream developing within her.

"Hold your breath…" Artie suggested.

The two friends tried to hold their breathes for some time, but it was becoming much more difficult to hold up the lack of air.

Suddenly a torrent of cold water was poured over their heads, dispelling the effects of the pixy magic panic and they let out a long sigh of relief.

"Didn't think I'd ditched you two, did you?" Jake asked friendlily, holding up an emptied bucket.

"Thanks Jake…" Ashir smiled up at the taller teenager then quickly picked up the golden cage.

"Ring once…" Jake tapped the Pixy Bell inside the cage.

"Ring twice…" Artie tapped the Pixy Bell.

Ashir opened the cage door as the golden clouds of magic began to disperse from the academy grounds and a swarm of pixies flew into the cage as if by a magnetic pull.

The pixy magic panic was relieved from students across the academy, but rather than continue going about their usual business, most of the victims collapsed on the spot.

"It's a side effect." Ashir explained as the two boys gapped at the fallen group of jousters in the centre of the jousting stadium. "If you catch pixy magic panic, and don't get it cured, you collapse for a couple of hours…"

"Which means…" Jake closed the door to the golden cage. "That we can get this back to the Enchanted Creatures' Study Hall without anyone noticing, and that means that we're off the hook."

"Sure does…" Ashir agreed as she smiled to each of her friends. "Congratulations on completing your first task, guys!" She casually slung her arms around them as she led them toward the Enchanted Creatures' Study Hall. "I knew you had it in you!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

We'll there's my holiday present, hope you enjoyed it, and Happy Holidays to one and all!

**MG#6**


	9. Lockers and Injuries

**Author's Note:**

Ooh, I'm posting this chapter on the web just before the New Year (2010), but I'm writing this chapter on the Eve of Christmas Eve (December 23rd) of 2009… so Happy Holidays to everyone!

* * *

**Chapter IX**

Ashir was lying back on the covers of her bed, looking at the ceiling of her dormitory room as her roommate began concocting another deadly looking potion.

"So… come again about your grand plan with Blondie and Dorkus…" Morgan raised an eyebrow as tiny bolts of electricity branched off the tips of her fingers and energized the dark mauve formula in a large flask.

Ashir rolled onto her side and looked at her roommate. "I'm giving Artie and Jake some tasks to do everyday during spare period…" She explained. The young sorceress sighed and continued. "I'm hoping that it'll build up their courage."

Morgan snorted. "I'm sure that Jake's not the problem, it's my wimp of a cousin that'll be doing these tasks until the end of time…"

"Why do you say that?" Ashir asked.

Morgan rolled her eyes and stirred a thick mixture in one of her small pewter cauldrons with a wooden spoon. "He is probably the most gutless guy in my entire family…"

"But he's doing well…" Ashir stated. "I'm sure of it." She paused. "I can tell, he's getting much more confident."

"Give him tasks all you will, Ashir." Morgan placed the lid on her cauldron as she continued. "But Dorkus is not going to be asking Miss Popular out on a date any time soon… he's too chicken."

Ashir narrowed her hazel-brown eyes, wanting to speak out in Artie's defence but she couldn't bring herself to. She remembered shortly after his most recent task had been completed, Artie had met her in the main courtyard by the Sword in the Stone Monument.

* * *

_Guinevere and her three mindless followers had passed by the sword-impaled rock, chatting about something. Guin was the first to look up from their conversation and the first to see Artie, who was noticeably staring at her._

_"Oh, hey Artie…" She had said in the bluntest of tones, ignoring Ashir's presence._

_It was evident that Guinevere didn't think much of Artie's presence, but it was obvious that Artie was mesmerized by Guinevere's presence. _

_Artie had stumbled over his words, nervous of what to say. Ashir was too irritated from Guin's behaviour to encourage Artie._

_Guin then sighed. "Guinevere, we're in the same alchemy class." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'll see you around, Artie…" She brushed past the dejected teenager, gently hitting her shoulder against Ashir's. They could hear something muttered under Guin's breath as she left the scene. "What a loser…"_

_Ashir had glared at the passing Ladies of the Lake before looking at the crest-fallen Artie. He looked away from her, at the graffiti-covered stone._

_"I'll always be a loser…" He murmured softly, setting down the object -that he had retrieved for his task- on the stone and looking up at Ashir. "I can't keep doing this Ashir…" He whispered. "It's not helping…"_

_Ashir looked into Artie's eyes, seeing the hopelessness within them. She shook her head. "Please, Artie," she implored, "don't give up…"_

_Artie turned away. "I'll see you later, Ashir…" He sighed. "I'm not really hungry for lunch right now…" He walked towards his dormitory._

* * *

Ashir sighed and lifted herself from her bed. "Do you know what time it is, Morgan?" She asked.

Morgan glanced out the window at the clock tower outside of their dormitory. "Half past seven… why?"

"I think I'll pay a visit to the boys dormitories…" Ashir stated plainly.

Morgan raised an eyebrow.

Ashir pulled her indigo robes over her uniform while walking towards the door to the dorm room.

"Hey, kid…" Morgan tossed Ashir her maple staff.

"Why would I need this?" Ashir enquired with a raised eyebrow.

Morgan shrugged. "You never know when you'll need a little magic." She stated as she continued her potion brewing.

Ashir sighed, tightening the cerulean sash around her waist and walking out into the hallway.

* * *

On her way towards the boys' dormitories, Ashir heard a banging within one of the lockers installed along the granite wall of a corridor. She hurried to the source of the sound, knowing that someone was trapped inside the locker.

"Hold on…" Ashir stated clearly, brandishing her staff, "I'll get you out!" She placed her staff against the thick iron lock of the locker and looked at the head of the staff.

The tip of the staff began to glow a bright blue as she concentrated, focusing her magic through the staff.

"_Resolvo_…" She whispered under her breath.

A ribbon of bright blue light exited the head of the staff, weaving through the mechanisms of the lock and loosening it. The lock opened with a satisfying click and Ashir sighed, recuperating from her magic making, as doing so consumed much of her energy.

Ashir opened the locker door and let out a startled gasp when a teenaged boy of her height tumbled out of the locker. She quickly caught the boy in her arms, steadying her weight against his so they wouldn't both fall to the ground.

It was difficult to tell who the boy was in the darkness of the evening, but when he looked up at her, she instantly recognized him.

"Artie?"

The sandy-blonde-haired teenager groaned, obviously in pain as he tried to lift himself from Ashir's arms.

"Don't move, Artie…" Ashir looked at her friend with concern as he stumbled back into her arms. "You're hurt… you need help."

"No… it's alright, Ashir." Artie reassured his friend as he finally regained his footing, though was still considerably swaying on the spot. "I'll be fine…"

"What happened?" Ashir asked.

Artie winced in pain, "Could we -you know- talk about this… somewhere else?"

"Sure…" Ashir wrapped one of Artie's arms over her shoulder to help him with support. "I'll take you to Doctor Percival's office… or somewhere…"

Artie looked up at Ashir weakly. "Could you just help me back to my dorm room?" He enquired.

Ashir mutely nodded. She then began the walk to the boys' dormitories while supporting Artie's weight.

* * *

Ashir helped Artie into his dorm room as she closed the door behind them. Artie unwrapped his arm from Ashir's and lit one of the lanterns in his room. He sat down atop the covers of his bed and let out a long sigh.

In a brighter light, Ashir could see that Artie had taken quite a beating from whoever had stuffed him into the locker. He had a fat lip, a black eye and what would soon become a series of dark bruises along his neck. Ashir's hazel-brown eyes widened as she looked at Artie.

Artie looked up, noticing Ashir's terrified look. "Lance and his goons wanted to make sure that I'd stay put over the weekend…" He stated. "So they shoved me in my locker shortly after dismissal." He shrugged.

Ashir walked over to the side of Artie's bed and sat down in an armchair next to it. "I'm so sorry, Artie…" Her hazel-brown eyes filled with tears as she looked earnestly at Artie. "I should've gone to dinner… then I would've noticed that you were gone sooner…" She looked away, ashamed over herself.

Artie shook his head, turning Ashir to face him. "Don't be sorry, Ashir." He smiled weakly. "I'm just glad that you found me…"

Ashir smiled back and then sighed. "Listen Artie, I'm really worried about you… is it alright if I stay the night?"

Artie raised an eyebrow. "You wanna sleep over?" He asked.

"Well, yeah…" Ashir shrugged. "I have a sleeping bag back in my dormitory… I'll just hurry on over there, grab it, and be back… if that's all right…"

Artie smirked. "Sure…" He stated and then cleared his throat. "Just –uh- hurry… the staff on patrol are pretty strict here…" He rubbed the back of his head. "Wouldn't want you to get caught, right?"

Ashir smiled back. "Right." She stood from the armchair and walked out of the dorm room. "I'll be back, Artie." She promised, before shutting the door behind her.

* * *

Ashir arrived at her dorm room, surprised to find that her roommate was not there.

A note, written in Morgan's recognizable handwriting, was left on the desk beside her potion-brewing kit.

Ashir read the note quickly, it explained that the Knights in Black Satin had another gig for that night, and that Morgan would probably come back in the afternoon of the next day.

The young sorceress smiled to herself. She quickly retrieved her sleeping bag from underneath her bed and hurried out the door of her dorm room.

* * *

Artie had fallen asleep with the lantern still lit when Ashir enter his dorm room. She smiled softly, setting up her sleeping bag beside Artie's bed and she carefully looked over the slumbering teenager.

The bruises around his neck seemed darker, increasing Ashir's worry for him. The teenaged sorceress sighed, shaking her head as she crawled into her sleeping bag.

What had Artie ever done to Lance to deserve what he got?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ooh… Sleepover!

**MG#6**


	10. A Road Trip

**Author's Note:**

Ooh double-digits already, how exciting!

Okay, I know that it's been quite the while, but here's my way of saying "my bad" (that'd be: one order of a long chapter, with a side of cliff-hangers, just kidding… or am I?)

* * *

**Chapter X**

Artie opened his eyes as the dawn's sunlight gently poured in through the window of his dorm room. It was finally the weekend, which meant that he had a full forty-eight hours of Lancelot and Company-freedom.

He yawned, stretching his arms in front of him and moving to get out of his bed. That's when the young teenager noticed Ashir's slumbering body in a sleeping bag on the floor next to his bed. Rather than jumping back, out of surprise, Artie got tangled up in his blankets and fell out of his bed, next to Ashir.

The young sorceress, having placed her sleeping bag far enough from the edge of Artie's bed to avoid being crushed by the aforementioned teenager, woke up. She couldn't help but giggle quietly as Artie rummaged around within his cocoon of blankets.

Ashir sat up and smiled warmly at her friend. "Good morning, Artie…"

Artie finally freed himself from the blankets, kicking them away, and he grumbled in reply.

Ashir merely shook her head, still smiling, and wriggled out of her sleeping bag. "How are you feeling?"

"Better…" Artie yawned; grabbing his blankets and tossing them carelessly back onto his bed.

Ashir stood to her feet, rolling up her sleeping bag, and she looked over Artie. He did look healthier than before; the bruising along his neck and his black eye had lightened in colour, and the swelling along his lip had subsided.

"Good…" Ashir smiled widely. "Because we're going on a road trip." She announced.

"_We_?" Artie raised an eyebrow.

"Well of course we're bringing Jake along too, silly…" She smirked.

"Great." Artie rubbed the back of his head and he looked at the young sorceress sheepishly. "Where are we going?"

"I'll tell you that at breakfast." Ashir explained briefly as she shouldered her sleeping bag. "But pack a few things… we may be staying the night…"

"Are we at least going off of the academy grounds?" Artie asked.

Ashir paused a moment, thinking and then nodded. "I'm sure we'll be off of the academy grounds for most of the time…" She stated.

"Good." Artie sighed. "I'm tired of wearing this stupid uniform…" He stated.

"Bring whatever, but wear your uniform at least until we get off of the grounds..." Ashir smiled. "See you a breakfast, okay?"

"Sure." Artie answered.

Ashir exited Artie's dorm room; heading towards Jake's dorm room to inform him of their new road trip.

* * *

The cafeteria was much emptier on weekends than it would've been on any other morning. Only the full-time staff and students with dorm rooms on the academy's campus that didn't go home for the weekend were in the cafeteria. Most of these patrons were dressed-down in casual attire, as the academy's dress code wasn't strictly applied during weekends.

Jake and Ashir sat at their usual table, each with a rucksack of the things that they were bringing with them. They were still wearing their academy uniforms, but it was evident that in each of their rucksacks was another clothing option.

Ashir spotted Artie and smiled warmly. "All ready, I see..."

"Yeah..." Artie sat down beside Jack with his breakfast and smiled to his friends. "So where are we going?"

Ashir gulped down the last of her breakfast and rummaged around in the rucksack beside her. "Well... we're definitely getting off the academy grounds..." She started as she pulled out a scroll. "It's within walking distance..." She smoothed the scroll out revealing a detailed map of Worcestershire and its surrounding countryside.

"How long a walk?" Jake asked.

"Two hours, tops..." Ashir reassured. She traced a line from the academy grounds to a small bay off the northeastern corner of the academy. "We'll be able to camp close, by the bay..."

"Where?" Artie looked over the map.

"Well..." Ashir smiled. "If it doesn't rain, then we'll be able to camp under the stars... but if there's rain, then there are caves along the cliff side along the bay as well as a forest nearby..."

"Cool..." Jake smiled. "What'll we be doing there, Ashir?"

Ashir smirked. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

The two teenaged boys chuckled simultaneously.

"Let's go now!" Artie exclaimed.

Ashir smiled. "You might want to eat, something, Artie." She stated.

Artie pulled an apple out of his rucksack. "I'll eat along the way, come on!" He stated enthusiastically.

Ashir chuckled and gave in to Artie's cheery mood. "Alright... let's go." She smiled warmly and shouldered her rucksack.

* * *

As the academy was on a remote hill next to the pounding ocean, there was little foliage on the outskirts of the academy's grounds.

As a result, Artie, Ashir and Jake had to wait until they got to the edge of the oak forest in the surrounding area after about a twenty-minute walk down the pathway from the academy to change out of their academy uniforms.

Each teenager hide behind a row of tall bushes to strip themselves of their uniforms and replace them with their casual wear. When each emerged, it was evident that they were more comfortable and much happier.

Ashir wore a dark brown dress edged in a deep mustard-yellow under her typical indigo robes flecked with golden stars. Artie wore a deep green shirt and a pair of chestnut-brown trousers. Jake wore a loose navy-blue shirt over a pair of black trousers and a dark brown vest.

Ashir smiled at her male companions and led the way down the swerving pathway towards the countryside. Artie and Jake followed the young sorceress, intrigued by where she was leading them.

* * *

Before the day had hit high noon, the trio of friends had arrived at the edge of a cliff next to a bay. Ashir crouched down and looked at the churning ocean, there seemed to be a bit of fear in her expression.

"Ashir?" Artie looked over at the sorceress.

Ashir shook herself back to reality and half-laughed at her inattentiveness. "We're here." She stated.

"Yeah," Jake cut in, "so now you've got to tell us why we're here!" he exclaimed.

Ashir smiled and sat down on the edge of the cliff, her feet dangling through the fresh sea air. "Once we get down to the bay..." She smirked.

"Nuh-uh..." Artie stated, his hands at his hips, "you said that you'd tell us when we got here." He stated bluntly. "And now we are here."

Ashir flashed a bright grin at her two male companions and scooted closer to the edge of the cliff. "When you catch me," she grasped something below her, "I'll tell you." Ashir then hopped off of the cliff.

The two teenaged boys shouted in surprise, looking over the edge.

Ashir's warm laugh rolled through the air as her two friends discovered that she was holding onto a thick vine along the cliff side.

"Catch me if you can!" She jeered, and then continued climbing down towards the bay.

Artie and Jake glanced at each other and then groped the side of the cliff for a vine to hold onto.

When they found none, they looked down at the evasive sorceress. She had reached the rocky beach of the bay and was making her way along the shoreline. They searched for the vine that Ashir had climbed down upon, but soon found none.

"She just used magic!" Artie realized.

"You figure?" Jake asked bluntly.

Artie glared back at the taller blonde and then looked down at the brunette teenager. "Well, how are we going to get down there, now?" he demanded.

Jake looked around him and gave a triumphant "aha!"

Artie looked at what Jake was pointing to. It was a precarious-looking rope ladder, which led down to the rocky beach.

"C'mon Artie-man!" The tall blue-eyed teenager led the way to the ladder.

"Jake," Artie cut in, before his friend could start down the _ladder_, "I don't think that's gonna hold." He stated.

"Well, no **duh**," Jake rolled his eyes as he sat down on the ground above the ladder. "Obviously we'll go one at a time." He then hopped onto the rope ladder and began climbing down.

Artie hurried over to the top of the ladder and looked down at his descending friend.

Jake reached the bottom of the ladder with ease and then called up to his green-eyed friend. "C'mon down, Artie-man!"

* * *

Jake's voice seemed to echo up to Artie from where he knelt, and Artie felt his stomach sink from nervousness.

_'Jake's bigger than me... if he can get down, so can I,'_ Artie tried desperately to motivate himself, but remained frozen at the top of the ladder.

"Yoo-who! Ar-tie!" Ashir's voice playfully sung up to the sandy-blonde teenager.

Artie peeked over the edge of the cliff and saw that Jake had literally caught Ashir and was carrying her piggyback-style on his back.

"If you don't get down here, then I won't tell you what we're doing here!" Ashir stated.

"Nah," Artie tried to calm himself, "you can tell me from down here..." He forced a smile, "I'd much prefer to stay on solid ground, thanks..."

Ashir hopped off of Jake's back and stood at the bottom of the ladder. "Ar-tie..." She whined loudly. "Please come down here?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Pretty Please?" Ashir begged.

"You're not getting me to move from here, Ashir." Artie called down.

"Fine." Ashir turned away. "Then you can just make your way back to the academy **all alone **because obviously you're too much of a coward to climb down a stupid ladder."

"WHAT?" Artie yelled, glaring down at the brunette sorceress. He was a little angered to hear one of his best friends calling him a coward, even if it was true.

Ashir folded her arms over her chest. "And furthermore, you can say goodbye to having any chance with Guinevere, Artie. Because if you can't do this... then I doubt you'll be able to ask her out."

Artie's stomach sank at the second statement. It was as true as the first. If he couldn't do a task a menial as climbing down a ladder, then he'd never be able to ask Guinevere out on a date... much more tell her his feelings. Artie took a deep breath and mounted the ladder, each hand grasping the sides of the rope ladder tightly. He began to descend the rope ladder, step by step.

Jake and Ashir watched Artie slowly make his way towards them. Ashir was leaning against her maple staff and Jake had seated himself on a large rock.

Artie began to get a little more confident in himself, and began to speed up his descent. What he didn't know was that the rope was rubbing against some of the sharper rocks on the side of the cliff, thus questioning the integrity of the rope ladder.

Suddenly there was a snap, and Artie felt the rope ladder give away from him.

"Artie!" Jake noticed Artie's falling first and Ashir's smile vanished.

The brunette sorceress felt her heart skip a beat and her innards drop to her feet as she gripped her maple staff. She swung the staff around herself as blue ribbons of magic began to build up along the shaft of the staff. "_Mollio scopulus!_" She exclaimed, pointing the tip of the staff at the rocks below Artie's falling body.

A stream of bright blue magic flowed from the end of Ashir's staff and hit the rocks. The surface of the rocks seemed to shift a bit. When Artie's body hit the rocks rather than a loud crack of a breaking body, the rocks gave a slight sigh, like that of soft pillows, and Artie stood up, unharmed.

"Ashir?" Artie gapped at the brunette sorceress.

The aforementioned girl swayed a bit on the spot, trying to use her maple staff as a means of support, but soon her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she tumbled towards the ground.

"ASHIR!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Wow... haven't updated this in quite the while... please don't murder me, I'll try harder... (Nervous Smile)

**MG#6**


	11. Training and Magical Energy

********

**Author's Note:**

Well lucky for you readers, I've had a bit of a "creative zing" for this fic, so perhaps I'll get my writing done more prolifically (_maybe_).

It's probably because I know exactly where I'm going with this fic, and because of the concept art I've drawn for it (I'll have it posted on my homepage soon, so go check out the link at my profile)…

* * *

**Chapter XI**

Ashir moaned gently as she came to, her hazel-brown eyes fluttering open. She felt the gravel ground beneath her body, but there was something soft cushioning her head. She heard rain falling further away from her. Ashir gradually pulled herself up and looked around her.

She had been sleeping on her rucksack, which she knew to contain both her academy uniform and her sleeping bag. She sat in a rather large cavern, illuminated by a gentle orange glow of fire coming from the centre, near the mouth of the cave.

Artie sat by the fire and looked up when he noticed Ashir's awakening. "Ashir…"

The aforementioned sorceress made her way to the campfire and sat across from Artie, the fire between them.

"Jake just went to explore the rest of this cave..." Artie gestured to the continuing darkness further from the main entrance in which they sat. "He said he was going to see if it led anywhere."

"Oh." Ashir wrapped her arms around her knees and looked into the crackling flames of the small campfire. "How long was I out?"

"Half the day." Artie rubbed the back of his head nervously. "We were getting worried, but Jake said that you'd be alright after a while... so we didn't go for help."

"I see." Ashir murmured to herself.

"What happened, Ashir?" Artie asked.

Ashir sighed. "I- I overused my magical finesse..."

"Huh?" Artie looked at the brunette sorceress strangely.

Ashir sat more comfortably on her rock by the fire. "I cast a spell much more complex than what I'm capable of doing at a much faster speed." She stated. "I was knocked unconscious from the energy used for the spell."

"A much faster speed?"

Ashir looked at her feet. "Something like what I cast -for softening rocks- would normally take me much longer." She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But I willed myself to cast it faster, so you wouldn't get hurt."

"Oh..." Artie bit his bottom lip. "Ashir?" He looked at the sorceress.

"Yes, Artie?" Ashir looked back at the sandy-blonde teenager.

"Thanks for saving me." Artie said gratefully. "I'd be dead without what you did."

Ashir felt a blush creep across her face. "Well, I- um..." She soon found herself completely at loss for words. She looked away, prying her mind for something to say. Ashir cleared her throat. "I did what I had to do." She stated; the blush still present.

Artie nodded and looked out at the mouth of the cave. The relentless rain was still continuing outside of the cave.

"When did it start raining?" Ashir asked.

"Just a little after noon..." Artie said idly. "Oh yeah, you must be hungry, Ashir..." He turned around and grabbed something in a crevice behind him. "Here, we found a couple apple trees that are still good." He tossed a bright red apple at the sorceress.

Ashir caught the fruit and looked at it, her stomach growled in anticipation.

Artie chuckled a little at this and bit into his own apple, looking out at the mouth of the cavern.

Ashir bit into her apple and stared at the fire, finally feeling the exhaustion from her energy crisis wear off. "Thanks, Artie." She murmured.

A thromping of boots interupted the two teenagers as Jake made his way into the main part of the cavern with a bundle of wood under his arm.

"Oh, you're up Ashir..." Jake smiled. "That's good to see."

Ashir gave Jake a weak smile. She took a deep breath and stood up. The two males looked at her quizzically.

"Well, we can't sit around here all afternoon." Ashir stated. "Let's begin what we came here for."

"And that'd be?" Jake inquired.

Ashir's smiled grew as she picked up a sturdy stick from the pile of firewood. "Training." She looked over the stick, swung it around a few times and then tossed it into Artie's hands.

Artie fumbled with the stick until he had it held in his hands like a sword. "Training?" Artie answered, his voice cracking involuntarily.

Ashir repressed a giggle as she picked out another stick and tossed it to Jake. "Yes, training... you didn't think that this was going to be a vacation, did you?"

Artie groaned in response as Ashir picked up her own staff and prepared to give them both lessons.

* * *

"Ow! Ouch! Ow!"

Ashir sighed, "I'm not even _trying_, Artie..."

She held up her staff in defense of Artie's next slash, which granted another "ow" from the stick wielder as his weapon bounced off of her staff and hit him in the head.

Ashir gave a final sigh and leaned against her maple staff. "You need to use your energy more proficiently."

"Energy?" Artie flopped down on the ground in an exhaused heap. "I don't have any energy anymore."

Ashir rolled her eyes and turned to Jake, who was balancing his stick on the palm of his hand, trying to keep it upright. "Good... you're concentrating on something and focusing your energy on one sole thing." She smiled. "Looks like confronting Mary's father won't be so hard."

"Wha-?" Jake lost his focus and the stick tipped off balance. He fumbled aroudn with it, trying to stop it from falling off. Sooner than later, it clattered to the ground and Jake looked up at Ashir. "What do you mean, _confronting_... have you seen Doctor Percival?"

"Yes," Ashir stated calmly, "and I don't mean a physical confrontation, I mean a negotiation between you and him to allow something of a relationship to blossom between you and Mary."

"Yeah, here's the negotiation: I get to live, and maybe I can look at Mary every once in a while." Jake stated flatly, flopping onto the ground beside Artie.

Ashir groaned. "You two are hopeless!"

"Sorry." The two males mumbled dejectedly.

"Don't say 'sorry' just do your training!"

"Sorry..."

"Ugh!" Ashir groaned louder than before.

* * *

The day came to a close, Ashir still frustrated with her futile attempts at training Jake and Artie. The two males were lying on the ground by the fire, exhausted from their training, and Ashir was pacing on the spot.

"You know, you need to chill, Ashir." Jake stated.

"I can't chill, Jake, I haven't accomplished anything here." Ashir raked her fingers through her hair and undid the ponytail that held it up. She sighed and sat down on a rock in front of the fire. She out her head in her hands and sighed once more.

Artie glanced at Jake and then at Ashir. Jake motioned to Artie and Artie nodded.

"You know, Ashir..." Artie started. "You should probably let out all of your anger before you explode."

"I'm not angry..." Ashir mumbled into her hands. "I'm just frustrated."

"Yeah, well... still..." Artie rubbed the back of his head and stood up. He picked up his stick and gave Ashir a warm smile.

Ashir lifted her head from her hands. "You're... ready to train?" She asked.

Artie simply smiled and nodded.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:**

Hurray for the chapter! (Prances around like a maniac) So what could be next for these three friends?

**MG#6**


	12. Hot Lunch

**Author's Note:**

Let's see what more trouble -er, I mean... adventures- these three can get themselves into!

* * *

**Chapter XII**

The days passed by and the chill of winter seemed to be growing bitterer. Ashir continued assigning her tasks to Jake and Artie, and the two males began gaining more self-confidence.

"So you say that you're actually getting some progress out of your little social experiment?" Morgan asked her roommate soon after returning from another nightly, Knights in Black Satin gig.

"It's not a social experiment, Morgan, but yes…" Ashir smiled. "They are doing well in their training. Sooner or later, I think something is actually going to happen."

Ashir's words awarded a long laugh from Morgan.

When she had finally stopped Morgan looked up at Ashir, "Yeah... I'd pay to see that."

* * *

_Later that day..._

The lunch bells echoed through Worcestershire's stony halls. The medieval teenagers all stomped out of their classrooms, running towards the academy's cafeteria.

"What's the rush?" Ashir glanced into the locker beside her own.

Jake was rummaging through his schoolbooks. He peered out of his locker and gave Ashir a long flat expression.

Ashir stuffed the key to her locker into her rucksack, "I'm just saying… why rush when today's special is _'Crème de la Bogey'_?"

"Ooh be still, my tingling taste buds…" Artie muttered sarcastically as he joined his two best friends at their lockers.

He was thickly covered in tanned dust; much like that from the jousting stadium's ground.

Ashir looked at his dusty uniform with wide hazel-brown eyes; but Artie simply stated with a flat expression, "Last class was jousting practice… I was the chosen target for all of the jousters."

"Even the bad ones?" Jake asked while pressing all of his body weight and muscles against his bulging locker door, trying to force it closed.

"Especially the bad ones…" Artie grumbled.

Ashir folded her arms around her waist. "I guess my request to the principal for switching human targets with wooden ones has been denied, then..." She let out a sigh. "Well… I suppose it could've been worse…" Ashir shrugged as-a-matter-of-factly, "You could've landed in a mud puddle like last week…" she brushed the tanned dust gingerly off of Artie's red uniformed shoulders.

"But it was raining all of last week…" Artie groaned, then noticed what Ashir was doing.

Artie and Ashir locked gazes and laughed awkwardly, trying to break the silence between each other. Ashir stopped dusting Artie's shoulders and her cheeks reddened to a soft magenta from her inattentiveness.

Jake struggled to close his locker door. Tiny beads of sweat trickled down the deep wrinkle between Jake's blonde eyebrows as he fitted the cast iron key into its hole and twisted it shut.

"Phew…" Jake flicked off the sweat drops, "No Problem-o," he smiled proudly, folding his arms over his chest, "I'd like to see Lance try to stuff someone into this locker…"

"Hopefully it won't be one of us…" Artie pointed out.

Jake grasped his worn-out rucksack and the trio of best friends walked towards the school cafeteria for lunch.

* * *

Upon entry to the academy's eatery they viewed a large line of depressed students that were preparing to eat their disguising gruel and such.

"Crème de la Bogey!" The academy oddball announced throughout the cafeteria, he was smacking a large cast-iron pot with a long wooden spoon, "Just two shillings per serving, Crème de la Bogey! If it's French it's fancy!"

The trio of friends proceeded down the food line; each of them picked up their own battered wooden tray and thin metal plate.

Half-asleep lunch ladies served all of the students with: a ladleful of slop, a leg of mutton, a roasted fowl, and more humble slimy sludge.

Once they all reached the end of their disgusting journey, the cafeteria ladies then accepted the trio's shillings for their food and they picked up their kegs of watered-down ale.

Just ahead of Artie was Guinevere, who was always prone to putting on a show –being the most popular girl in the school- without actually being aware of it.

Guinevere gave the lunch lady two shining shillings and lifted her bowl lovingly to the cafeteria cooks.

One of the large ladies picked up one of her wooden ladles and filled Guinevere's wooden basin with a portly serving of Crème de la Bogey.

One of the school's window washers slipped from his high position at the cafeteria's grimy windows. As he fell, the window washer cleared a streak of grime from the window, which poured dusty amber rays of sunshine onto Guinevere, spotlighting her long golden locks.

'_Everything's so perfect about her…'_ Artie thought to himself as he was enchanted by Guinevere's beauty.

Guin walked past Artie, who was still smitten by Guinevere's very admirable presence, "Oh, hey Artie," Guin greeted Artie plainly; a flat look in her sapphire-blue eyes.

Artie choked on his own words, unable to make anything comprehensible to greet the Fair Maiden.

"Guinevere, remember?" Guin reminded Artie -as if he had forgotten who she was- she sighed at the hopeless wonder in front of her, "We're in the same alchemy class…"

"Um…uh…" Artie was tongue-tied.

"Yeah well," Guinevere lifted up her bowl and prepared to leave, "I guess I'll see you around…" Guin stated with a hastened smile.

Guinevere slipped by him and rushed to her table of friends. She left with another "Loser" remark. Artie had blown it, once again…

Artie groaned, glaring down at his tray of slop. _'At least she acknowledged my existence…'_

"Don't worry Artie," Ashir tried reassuring her friend as she joined him at the end of the food line, "You'll get your well deserved chance, some day…"

"Yeah," Artie stared at the table full of Fair Maidens, "…some day."

Artie turned around, but his tray bumped against a tall, uniformed chest. He looked up and dreaded what he saw.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Previous readers (that is, those who've read the original version before the rewrite) might recognize this a bit, which means that the next update will likely be sooner!

**MG#6**


	13. Combat in the Cafeteria

**Author's Note:**

Hmm…

* * *

**Chapter XIII**

Artie glanced up nervously to meet the jousting captain's gaze, "Uh, H-Hey Lance…" he gave Lance a weak grin.

The mob of athletic goons instinctively snatched all of the trio's lunches, tossing the trays to the floor, and leaving a messy puddle of slop.

"If I were Guinevere…" Lance glared down at Artie, his dark green eyes seemed to pierce into Artie's innards; "I'd get a loser restraining order."

"Yeah, 'cause you're a loser, Bucket Boy!" One of Lancelot's goons, by the name of Bohort the Younger, laughed.

"Why don't you go about your own business and leave us alone, Lancelot?" Ashir glowered at the jousting captain.

Lancelot scoffed. "No one asked you, witch…" Lance chastised. The jousting captain shoved Ashir aside and turned back to face Artie, "Any way, watch who you're staring at, Worm…" he poked Artie hard in the chest, probably leaving a tiny bruise on the point of impact.

"Well, no duh…" Jake started, Lance glared at the tall blonde-haired teenager; "of course you'd watch whom you're staring at…" Jake stated plainly, "Watching is staring…"

"You've got a pair of smart mouthed friends, Worm," Lance glowered.

"Well it beats your dumb mouthed remarks." Ashir stated.

Lancelot glared at Ashir, angry that she had mocked him in front of the student body; "No further comments from you, witch" He snarled. Lancelot turned to his goons snapping his fingers twice. His jousters turned to face him obediently, knowing their places through and through.

"Junior," he commanded to Bohort the Younger -who cracked his knuckles on recognition- Lance smirked sinisterly, "Teach young Master Pearson a little lesson about respect…"

"With pleasure…" Junior growled; a large sneer ripped across his gluttonous face.

The goon walked over to his victim grasping the back of Jake's trousers and he hung him by his breaches on one of the wall spires. The cafeteria of students burst into laughs as they watched as Jake struggled to free himself.

"And as for you, Witch… you need to know your place here." Lancelot gave an ordered clap and Lionel pulled Ashir into a tight bear hug.

"Let go of me," Ashir thrashed about against Lionel's grip, "…you stupid troll!"

With a shout Ashir: stomped forcefully on Lionel's left leather-booted foot, punched him sharply in the stomach with a freed arm. Then she double-backed behind him –while he was hopping around on one foot and clutching his injured one- and finished the fight with a swift sidekick to the backside. Lionel was sent face-first into the gooey puddle of cafeteria food.

By this time, Artie had successfully removed Jake from his uncomfortable position, and was gawking slack-jawed at Ashir's impressive self-defensive abilities. Ashir idly dusted off the arms of her indigo robes and placed her hands proudly on her hips.

"I'm not all magic…" Ashir smiled, responding to Artie's stunned expressions.

The consuming students, having absorbed the subtle violent and humiliating actions at had been recently performed, cheered loudly for Ashir.

"I taught her that…" Jake whispered to Artie. The Pendragon descendant glanced blankly at the blonde-haired boy beside him. "Okay, maybe a little bit of that…" Jake shrugged.

* * *

Lancelot's patience was wearing thin as the school cheered for his victims. He pointed his index finger at Ashir.

"Grab her boys!" he commanded fiercely to his remaining goons.

Ashir was suddenly surrounded by four of the jousting team's members, although Lionel was still left groaning on the floor with his face plastered in the drying glob of cafeteria food. She tried to fend most of them off, getting in a few good punches, but they successfully grabbed her. She then was pinned to a large stony pillar by four pairs of muscular hands across her robed arms and shoulders.

"Let me go!" she shouted.

With as much energy that was left inside her –besides her magical energies that could knock them _all_ out- she tried to disarm all of the goons. But Lance's goons were prepared for this; they swiftly pushed Ashir further up onto the pillar, so her feet had left the floor and she couldn't trip them.

Ashir feebly kicked the two nearest goons beside her in defeat, receiving sharp glares from them.

"I believe a set of swirlies is required for those two, but first…" Lancelot smirked sinisterly, "a little lesson for Miss Merlin on authority, then we tied her to a tree."

"Yay!" Lancelot's disciples howled in anticipation.

Lancelot turned back to Ashir. "What, no witty remark… Miss Merlin?" Lance muttered savagely under his breath, he then glared back at Ashir with his intensely green eyes, "Perhaps you've run dry…"

Lancelot's goons raised Ashir higher against the pillar, forcing her to face eye-to-eye with their leader.

Lance nodded, his goons released Ashir but she didn't fall far… Lancelot had grabbed Ashir by the collar of her indigo robes.

The young sorceress' breath caught at the back of her throat as she gapped in fright at Lance, no words came to her dry mouth.

Lancelot's grabbing hand curled up into a fist as he pressed Ashir harder against the pillar, gently cutting off Ashir's ability to breath. Ashir tried to force out some words for help. But it was hard to consider if she was choking on her own self-pride or from Lance's fist.

Ashir's hazel-brown eyes were widened in sheer terror as she fought against the amount of muscular pressure holding her down. Even the most talented actor wouldn't be able to mimic the look of utter horror in Ashir's eyes.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Lancelot whispered; his mouth curling at the corners into a sadistic smile and his deep green eyes intensely shining.

* * *

But Artie wouldn't have it… he would stand by and watch his defenceless friend struggle to release Lancelot's fist from her collar… where in Worcestershire had Jake gone? Now was the time for action.

"Stop, Lance!" Artie pounced at Lancelot Du Lac, intending to knock the jousting captain out of the way. But Lance's preparedness was powerful and dangerous. Artie was nothing compared to Lancelot's strength.

Instead of knocking down Lance, Artie sort of bounced off of the tall bully's figure. Lancelot turned, still holding Ashir against the pillar by the collar of her robes and dished out a potent uppercut.

Artie soared through the air and hit the ground. He skid a ways until the back of Artie's head cracked against one of the pillars opposite to Ashir and he was out like a candle.

"Artie!" the trapped sorceress yelped.

The audience of eating students' gasped, a few metal plates clattered on the stony ground. Ashir tried to release herself from Lance's grip to help her fallen friend, but his brawny fist kept to its place firmly.

Tensely, Ashir waited for Artie to get back up, like he usually did… her breath came out in short uneven gasps.

But the frail teenaged boy stayed on the stony ground, knocked unconscious.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This is the part, where I run away from angered Artie fans… hee, hee… (Runs Away)

**MG#6**


	14. The Great Escape

**Author's Note:**

Mmm… Easter chocolate (drools)…

* * *

**Chapter XIV**

"Finally…" Lance indifferently rubbed the back of his slightly injured fist against his tunic, "I have silenced that stupid worm," he growled with a pleased tone in his voice.

His goons chuckled nervously, still watching Ashir and Lance. Lancelot's grip on the front of Ashir's robes hadn't weakened -even after he taking out Artie- and Ashir was still firmly pressed against the stone pillar with merely one of Lance's fists.

"You!" Ashir tugged against the jousting captain's grip.

She was trying to get at Lance, trying to bring him to justice. Strangely enough the magic in her blood didn't release a powerful blast like she had attended it too.

Her control was Artie's doom.

"Monster…" Ashir was on the verge of tears, as she feebly gave into her angst.

"And now…" Lance winded up his fist, "I'll silence you…"

"Not likely!" Jake's voice responded from behind Lance as a torrent of green slime was poured over Lance's head, halting his violent advances. There were scattered gasps from the crowd of students.

Lancelot slowly turned around on the heel of his boot as the goo dripped down his face. He still held Ashir firmly to the pillar.

Jake smugly handed the academy's oddball a handful of shillings and an empty pot of Crème de la Bogey, "best six shillings I've ever spent; thus far…"

Lance whipped some of the goo from his eyes with the back of his free hand, his eyes were livid.

The cafeteria full of students was deathly silent, except for the old deaf janitor who was pleasantly whistling the tune to _'Living la Viva Loca'_ as he cleaned up the puddle of spilt food, after having removed Junior from it.

Just as Lance was about to open his mouth or wind up his fists, Ashir braced herself against the pillar and gave Lance a very hard kick in the groin. Lance immediately released Ashir, crumpled to the floor and groaned in agony as he curled up into the fetal position.

Before anyone could do anything –besides cringe at the sight of Lancelot- Ashir yanked a tiny blue vial from a pocket in her robes and smashed it down to the rocky floor.

A gust of blue-green gas erupted from the spot of impact, cloaking the jousting team's vision of the cafeteria. With the limited time they had until the potion's effect expired, Jake and Ashir hurried towards their cataleptic comrade.

"Nice move Jake," Ashir straightened out the collar of her robes. She pressed her hand against Artie's chest, feeling his gentle heart beating and him breathing in and out. "Artie will be alright;" She eased her hand up to his pale face and caressed the side of his face; it was cold and clammy to the touch. "We just need to get him to safety…"

"Right…" Jake smiled, "Nice kick."

"Best kick of my life," Ashir stated happily, "thus far…" she added smugly.

Jake laughed at Ashir's copycat humour, but then added seriously. "Do you have your staff with you?"

Ashir sighed. "It would've helped, but I left it in my dorm room." She stated.

"Darn." Jake thought for a moment. "Then we'll use our arms to carry Artie out of here, chair style."

Ashir nodded, wrapping one of Artie's limp arms around her shoulders and wrapping her arm around Artie's back. Jake did the same with Artie's other arm. The brother- and sister-like friends lifted Artie together, joining their opposite hands under Artie's legs and hurrying towards the exit.

The blue-green gas began to disperse as the three friends exited the medieval eatery.

"Get them!" Lance coughed; he was still cringing from Ashir's kick. His jousting goons thumped stupidly after Ashir, Jake and Artie.

* * *

Ashir and Jake ran as fast as their feet could carry them, and continued running through the halls even when their aching arms protested. Artie's consciousness hadn't changed.

They weaved through the school's stony hallways, past rows of lockers and classes. Lance's minions seemed to be pursuing them closely.

"Where's the nearest nurse's office?" Ashir asked Jake, glancing nervously down at Artie's closed eyes; he wasn't going to wake up any time soon.

"There's one towards my dorm room…" Jake answered Ashir as they continued running awkwardly through the academy.

"But I'm afraid if Lance would know about it…" Ashir gulped with concern.

"Not likely…" Jake muttered, passing a group of random students, "Lance and his cronies usually party at the Fair Maiden's dorm rooms, or are practicing at the jousting stadium. They're rarely at the guy's dorm rooms."

"But Lance isn't chasing us," Ashir thought aloud, "his minions are…"

"Yeah, but they're all too thick to know anything." Jake retorted

"Good…" Ashir sighed gratefully, "Is Doctor Percival at the nurse's office?" the sorceress asked.

"He should be in today… why?" Jake glanced back at Ashir.

"Because he's the only real doctor in this backwash academy…" Ashir's hazel-brown eyes had a determined glint to them.

And so: Jake and Ashir escaped with Artie from Lancelot and his goons…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This must be -at least- vaguely familiar to some of the original version's readers… however, there will definitely be some changes coming up soon and hopefully will be for the best!

**MG#6**


	15. The Office of Doctor Percival

**Author's Note:**

I'm posting this now before I get to my busy weekend and even busier week... enjoy!

P.S. This might seem as a strange way to open this new chapter, but bear with me… we'll get to the action and drama soon enough.

* * *

**Chapter XV**

Inogen sat in the front room of Doctor Percival's office behind the secretary's desk. She flipped through the latest copy of _Hacking Ye Olde Sack Monthly _-a magazine that she had specially ordered for her academy club- and she skimmed over the newest hacky sacks. Her eyes stopped at a particular funky-patterned hacky sack and she smiled.

"Just a few more weeks of working lunches here and you are mine." She stated in her bubbly -yet musical- voice.

Suddenly the door to the infirmary burst open, startling the blonde-haired teenager from her intent worship of hacky sacks, and resuming her focus on her job.

Two teenagers -one a brunette girl and the other a tall, blonde boy- hurried into the office, carrying an unconscious sandy-blonde teenager in their arms.

"Is Doctor Percival in?" The girl asked breathlessly.

"And don't ask if we have an appointment, this is an emergency!" The boy added.

"Umm…" Inogen looked around her secretary's desk and finally located the megaphone that was connected to the rest of the office. "Mary?"

Mary Percival came in through another door with unexpected quickness. "Yes?" She then looked at the new arrivals. "Jake? Ashir? What happened to Artie?" She asked.

"Lancelot…" Jake stated. "He's hurt."

"Is your father here, right now?" Ashir asked.

"Yeah, he's with a patient right now…" Mary thought aloud. "But I can get him to look over Artie as soon as possible." She opened an adjacent door. "Jessie! Charlene!" She called down the hallway.

With astonishing rapidity, two female dwarves scurried into the front room. The first one was pushing a gurney while the second one sitting atop of the gurney, idly swinging her feet. They both wore white nurse outfits and had cheerful grins on their faces.

"Yes, Miss Mary?" They simultaneously asked.

"Jessie, can you wheel Artie into the observation room, please?" Mary asked the dwarf sitting on the gurney with golden hair done up in pigtails. Mary turned to the dwarf pushing the gurney, who had greying chestnut brown hair tied back in a braid. "Charlene, could you lead Ashir and Jake into the green room, please?"

"Certainly, Miss Mary." Charlene chirped happily.

"You can count on us!" Jessie added.

Charlene –being the more responsible and mature of the dwarves- carefully instructed Ashir and Jake to lower Artie onto the gurney and then had Jessie wheel it away. She then led the two teenagers down another hallway as Mary walked into her father's office.

Inogen sighed and resumed her reading. "Just… a few more weeks…" She stated.

* * *

"Here you two go… some hot tea to steady your nerves…" Charlene poured both Jake and Ashir a large cup of tea.

"Thanks…" Ashir held her cup between her nervously shaking hands and blew away the steam before taking a sip.

"No offence, but I thought that dwarves only drank ale…" Jake noted that Charlene had poured herself a cup of tea.

"Not all the time, lad… but the occasional brew doesn't hurt." Charlene smiled over her teacup as she took a sip.

The two teenagers and the dwarven nurse sat in a vast room constructed of glass panels and filled with a large variety of floral life at a small iron wrought table with cast-iron stools. The room was perfumed with the calming aroma of the hundreds of flowers and was warmed from the golden afternoon sun.

Charlene looked over Ashir. "You all right, lass?"

"Hmm?" Ashir snapped out of her stupor. "Oh, yes… I'm fine…" she cleared her throat. "I-I'm just… a little shaken from what's happened…"

"You were right to bring the lad here…" Jessie's voice came from the entrance of the room.

"Why?" Ashir slammed her teacup against its saucer loudly as she looked at Jessie with concern. "Is Artie all right?"

"Oh yeah…" The younger dwarf walked towards the three seating tea drinkers. "He's got quite the bump on his head, but he'll be all right." She took the stool to the left of Charlene, who offered her some tea. "No thanks Char, not a tea drinker…"

"It'll calm your nerves, Jess." Charlene stated.

"My nerves don't need calming!" Jessie stated through her teeth.

Charlene simply rolled her eyes at this and continued drinking her tea.

"But, any ways…" Jessie continued. "We'll be keeping the lad here until he's woken up, which _should_ be in a few days I'd reckon." She stated nonchalantly.

Ashir's wide-eyed look hadn't changed. "He hasn't woken up yet?" She sank down into her stool and looked emptily at the surface of her teacup.

Charlene elbowed Jessie lightly in the ribs.

"What?" Jessie growled quietly.

Charlene nodded towards Ashir and Jessie took the hint.

"Ashir…" Jake started.

"No… I mean- it's all right… I-I'm fine…" Ashir quickly wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes with the back of her hand. "A-Artie's all right… everything… will be all right… I'm fine…" Ashir seemed to be reassuring herself more than the others seated at the table. "He'll be okay," she added quietly.

Jake looked at Ashir, unconvinced, but then turned his attention to the two people having entered the green room.

"Miss Mary… Doctor Percival…" Charlene politely greeted each new arrival and pouring them a cup of tea.

Doctor Percival was a powerfully built man, still wearing his doctoral robes and had his smooth dark brown hair pulled back from his face in a ponytail. As opposed to the fair ivory skin of his daughter, Doctor Percival had light bronze skin, yet had the same brilliant blue eyes of which Mary had inherited.

"How's he doing?" Jake asked Mary while Doctor Percival took his cup of tea from Charlene.

"He's stable." Mary explained quietly. "But… I'm unsure if Artie's going to wake up soon."

"That Lancelot Du Lac is much more trouble than he's worth." Doctor Percival added in his deep voice. "Far too many victims of his and his _friends'_ tormenting come here…" He stated. "Mister Pendragon being the worst case I've seen, thus far."

Ashir's hands curled up into fists as she bit back her tears. "Is…" She cleared her throat. "Is Artie going to be all right?" Ashir managed to swallow the last words before her voice could crack from emotion.

"Of course -lass- Doctor P's the best in the business!" Jessie clapped her hand on Ashir's shoulder.

Ashir remained unconvinced.

Doctor Percival -seeing Ashir's forlorn look- stepped beside her and gently spoke to her. "You may go to see him, Miss Merlin."

Ashir's breath caught in the back of her throat as she looked up at Doctor Percival. "I can?" She asked.

Doctor Percival simply nodded and then motioned to Mary to lead Ashir to the patients' room.

Ashir gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you…" She hurried out of the flower-filled room to the patients' area with Mary at her side.

Doctor Percival chuckled softly. "Now that's rare…" He stated.

"What is?" Jake looked up at the older man.

"That kind of love…" Doctor Percival stated, draining his cup of tea in a gulp and leaving the room to tend to his other patients.

"Huh?" Jake looked at the two female dwarves for an answer but they simply shrugged.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Hmm… I like this chapter; it's a much better rewrite of what I originally had at the Percival's office!

**MG#6**


	16. Of Dark Angels and Dark Lockers

**Author's Note:**

I'm on a roll! For my other fanfics, this is probably a bad sign, but for this one… 'tis good!

* * *

**Chapter XVI**

"Ashir's been in there for quite a while, Jake…" Mary explained to the blonde teenager as they sat outside the recovery room.

"She's scared." Jake stated simply. "I can tell…"

"She really does care about him," Mary looked at Jake, "doesn't she?"

"Yeah…" Jake sighed, smoothing a hand through his bangs, "too bad Artie doesn't see it… he's too obsessed with Guinevere to see what's right in front of him."

"Do you think he'll ever take the hint?" Mary asked.

"I don't know…" Jake shrugged. "Not unless Ashir tells him…"

Mary sighed. "Poor Ashir…"

"Ashir has a strong heart." Jake stated. "I'm sure she'll tell him when she's ready… let's just hope -for her- that she's not too late."

* * *

_Ashir was wandering through a field of daisies, while the pale full moon shone down upon her. She looked forwards, her steps kicking up the occasional cloud of flower petals. Ashir stopped when she came to the crest of a hill and she saw a dark figure._

_"Who are you?" she asked._

_The dark figure turned, revealing to be a man with a pair of black-feathered wings. His skin was a deep grey-blue and he carried a body in his arms. As the dark figure turned to face Ashir, the body in his arms turned as well, showing its face._

_Ashir instantly recognized the visage. "Artie…" Ashir whispered. She looked up at the dark figure._

_The winged man looked back at her indifferently. "I am the dark angel of death." He stated. "I've come to take this boy's soul to the realm of the dead."_

_"No!" Ashir exclaimed. "Not now… it's too soon!"_

_"It has been written so." The dark angel of death retorted._

_"But…" Ashir looked at Artie's pale face. "He… can't leave. I don't want him to…"_

_"And why should that influence what has been written?" the winged man asked, "What purpose does this boy serve in the world of man, that he should be spared?"_

_"I don't know…" Ashir sighed, "but despite his frail appearance, Artie has a strong, good heart…" She looked the winged man in the eyes, "he must be destined for something."_

_"You are certain of this?" the angel asked._

_"Y-Yes." Ashir looked at Artie._

_The angel stepped towards Ashir and looked deep into her eyes. His eyes seemed to pierce into Ashir's soul. "Death is the true governor of people, despite the people's attempts to rule themselves." He released Artie, allowing the young male to float in the air before Ashir. "Take care of this boy… and he will survive." The angel commanded._

_Artie was gently lowered into the daisy-covered ground. Ashir knelt beside Artie's body and looked up at the dark angel. The angel turned away, his black-feathered wings unfurled._

_"But be warned." The angel stated to Ashir over his shoulder. "Your dependency on magical artefacts to channel your powers has been increased… be cautious of how you use your magic."_

_"That's a risk I'll have to take." Ashir stated as the dark angel leapt into the air._

_The angel flew into the night sky, his form cast a shadow upon the two teenagers, and all went dark._

* * *

Ashir's hazel-brown eyes flickered open as she felt a faint heartbeat against her cheek. She lifted her head and looked down at the comatose teenager, upon whose chest she had been sleeping. He hadn't jarred from his peaceful slumber and was ignorant of his surroundings.

Ashir sighed and looked out the western window of the recovery room. The sun had sunken beneath the horizon and academy's clock tower rung eight times.

"Curfew's soon…" Ashir muttered to herself. She looked at Artie and sighed. "Guess I have to go…" She leaned down until her lips were next to Artie's ear. "Please wake up soon, Artie." She whispered. A single tear fell from her eye, landing on Artie's cheek as she stood up.

Ashir walked to the door into the recovery room. She allowed a glance back at Artie before finally leaving the room.

* * *

Three days past without any further signs of Artie's condition improving. Ashir spent what time she could afford waiting at Artie's side for a sign of his coming to. The young sorceress woke up early, skipped meals and stayed as late as she was permitted, just to wait on him.

Neither Mary nor Doctor Percival tried to stop Ashir from visiting, but they were getting concerned about her overall health.

Jake negotiated with Ashir to sleep over in his dorm room so she would actually get some sleep and so that she could be closer to the doctor's office.

During the three school days, Ashir and Jake were avoiding Lancelot and the rest of the jousting team as best as they could, as they didn't want to stir up any more trouble. However this soon all changed…

* * *

On the third evening -after Jake had convinced Ashir to get something into her at dinner- Ashir was making her way to the boys dormitories; so she could pay Artie one last visit for the day. As she turned the last corner before the lengthy hallway to Doctor Percival's office, she ran into Lancelot and a number of his thickheaded friends.

"Well, if it isn't the witch?" Lancelot glared down at Ashir while the rest of his jousting team surrounded the young sorceress, cutting off all escapes.

"Listen… I don't want any trouble…" Ashir told Lancelot directly. "Could you please let me by?"

"As if!" Lancelot scoffed. "Boys, I don't believe we've yet taught Miss Merlin her lesson on authority, have we?"

"Are we gonna tie her up to a tree, Lance?" Junior asked eagerly.

"Nah… don't want to be late for Guiny's party," Lancelot stated as he scanned the corridor, "hmm…" he smirked sinisterly as he spotted what he had been looking for, "how convenient…"

Lancelot grasped Ashir by the front of her robes and slammed her against the wall of lockers. He pushed aside some of the papers in the opened locker next to Ashir and then shoved her in it.

"No, Lance, don't-" Ashir was cut off as Lancelot slammed the locker door closed, laughing sinisterly with his goons echoing him. The locker's lock was fastened in place and Lancelot's laughs carried on down the hallway.

"Now let's go crash that party." Lancelot suggested as he lead his followers out of the boy dormitories.

"Lancelot!" Ashir yelled at the top of her lungs. "Let… me… out!"

Between each word, Ashir kicked the inside of the locker as hard as she could. However, as she was considerably weaker over the past few days than usual and quite staff-less, the locker door barely budged.

"Perfect. Just brilliant." Ashir groaned, cursing herself for allowing herself to be caught by Lancelot. She slammed her forehead against the locker door, granting herself an inevitable bruise.

* * *

After a few minutes' wait, there was a click as a key opened the lock to the locker. Ashir –having put most of her body's weight against the locker door- fell forwards against the person who had opened it.

The person fell to the ground with her, not having expected a person to be in their locker.

Ashir groaned, shaking the ringing from her head as she rolled off of the person. She shook her head until her vision was clear and then looked over the person who had released her.

Lucius Tiberius sat up and looked at Ashir. "Well _hello_ there." He greeted, his voice thickly accented, as he was the academy's Roman exchange student.

Ashir backed away. "You're one of Lance's friends, aren't you?" She slowly pulled herself to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. Ashir was uncertain of what to think of this jouster.

"Not really…" Lucius responded as he got to his feet. "I merely follow my fellow jousting teammates, should the moment demand it." He brushed off the front of his uniform. "Truly, I am only on the jousting team for the benefit of the _ladies_." He emphasized the last word, looking over Ashir hungrily.

Ashir was taken aback. "No thanks… try one of the mindless cheerleaders… they'd go for guys like you." She tried to regain her footing but found doing so painful.

"You are injured, no?" Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"No…" Ashir growled, wanting to simply leave the presence of this jouster.

"Do not lie to me, I can tell when someone's in pain." Lucius stated.

"Well can you tell when someone doesn't want you there?" Ashir snapped before she groaned in pain.

"Sadly, no." Lucius answered, not taking Ashir's hint. "But allow me to escort you to the nearby doctor's office… it's the least you can let me do after you unexpectedly tumbled on me."

Ashir narrowed her eyes. "I wouldn't have _unexpectedly tumbled onto you_ if Lancelot hadn't locked me up in the first place…" She glanced around the corner and then sighed. "Fine. Get me where I tell you to… and no detours."

"What?" Lucius looked at Ashir oddly. "But I thought that you needed medical care."

"Nonsense." Ashir moved the weight of her body onto her uninjured ankle and then looked at Lucius. "Take me to my friend's dorm room, and I won't turn you into a slug."

"All right! All right! Sheesh…" Lucius rolled his eyes and approached Ashir, ready to help her along. "You know, perhaps this is why you don't have a boy friend."

"Perhaps this is why you don't have a girl friend." Ashir retorted; grimacing as she put weight on her injured ankle.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ooh, what's going to happen… will Artie ever wake up, will Ashir finally realize her feelings for Artie, will Jake ever get to go on a date with Mary? Stay Tuned!

**MG#6**


	17. Dreaming Awake

**Author's Note:**

Hmm… just moving right along, I suppose.

* * *

**Chapter XVII**

Jake opened the door to his dorm room and was surprised to see that not only Ashir was there, but that one of Lancelot's goons was helping her along.

"Woh, woh, woh! Time out!" Jake followed Ashir and Lucius Tiberius into his room. "What's this about?"

"Your friend's ankle is hurt and she threatened me to bring her here instead of to the doctor's office, nearby." Lucius calmly explained.

"It's because Doctor Percival is currently busy with more important patients." Ashir snapped as she sat down on Meleagant's vacant armchair, the aforementioned rocker being out at an all-night gig for the Knights in Black Satin. "Besides, I can take care of myself." She stated.

Jake sighed. "You'd better go." He stated to Lucius. "She's probably not going to change her mind." He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Um… thanks for bringing her here."

"No problem." Lucius quickly made his exit, shutting the door behind him.

Jake let out a long sigh, easing his hand through his hair. "Ashir…"

"I know what you're going to say –Jake- and I'm telling you, I don't need to got to Doctor Percival." Ashir stated firmly. "I'll be fine here."

Jake sighed once more, "fine…" he looked down at Ashir and shook his head. "You know… let me get a look at that injury of yours before I start agreeing with you…"

"It's nothing." Ashir tried to tuck her ankle behind the other, but the mere contact brought a grimace of pain to her face.

"You see!" Jake said, having noticed Ashir's expression, "Now c'mon… don't be stubborn."

Ashir pouted, removed her shoe and stuck out her injured foot so that her ankle was showing. The skin surrounding her ankle was red and considerably swollen up.

Jake winced at the sight and then walked into the adjacent bathroom, retrieving a basin and a pitcher of warm water. He set the basin down by Ashir's feet and motioned for her to put her injured foot in it. Ashir did so and Jake poured the warm water over her foot.

Ashir exhaled slowly, feeling some relief come to her injured foot. She looked at Jake gratefully, "Thanks Jake." She smiled softly.

Jake smiled back. "You know, how 'bout I go check up on Artie for you and you get some rest. Okay?"

Ashir looked away, thinking over Jake's offering, and then looked back at him. "All right… um, just be back before curfew. Right?" She smiled weakly.

Jake nodded, heading towards his dorm room door, and he glanced back at Ashir. "The water should help the swelling on your ankle," he stated, before exiting his room.

* * *

Ashir had fallen asleep in Meleagant's armchair by the time Jake had returned to his dorm room.

The news of Artie's condition hadn't changed. Artie hadn't woken up. Jake decided not to wake up his best friend over such marginal information and got himself into bed. He looked over Ashir, noting how ill she seemed to be getting, and sighed.

"Guess you won't be better until he is, huh…" Jake murmured. He then extinguished the candle on his bedside table.

* * *

Artie was walking through a dark forest, a deep green cloak drawn around his self. A chilling wind howled through the gnarled black trees, blowing the occasional leaf into his face as he continued down the twisting forest pathway. Artie noticed a shimming glow before him and came up to a fork in the pathway.

The first pathway led straight to a horizon of light, where the trees seemed thinner. Standing on the direct pathway was a delicate-looking unicorn with pale fur, deep magenta eyes and a multi-hued mane braided back in an orderly manner.

The second pathway was more twisted and seemed to lead deeper into the dark forest. Artie could barely make out a powerful winged horse with fur the colour of the night sky, bright black eyes and a wild looking mane of black hair.

Artie began to take the most obvious pathway, the direct one heading towards the horizon. But with every step Artie took, it seemed that he was getting nowhere nearer to the rainbow unicorn. The glowing horizon began to shrink and the gnarled trees seemed to thicken.

The dark winged horse moaned gently as it fell to the ground, apparently no longer strong enough to support itself. Artie turned around; glancing momentarily back towards the rainbow unicorn -who seemed indifferent of his presence- and hurried towards the winged horse.

Every step he took seemed to be a bound towards the winged horse, the twists in the path seemed to straighten out, the trees began to thin and the forest's edge seemed closer. Artie hurried to the winged horse's side and knelt down beside it.

The winged horse looked at him and gently nudged his hand with its nose, as if encouraging him to do something. Artie looked down into the horse's eyes, feeling a strangely familiar sensation of warmth and caring radiating from them. He stroked the winged horse's nose, inwardly wishing it to rise again and be the impressive creature from when he first laid eyes upon it.

Gradually, the dark-furred horse rose from where it lay, with Artie's hands still on its nose, until it was once again standing. The winged horse bowed its head to Artie, as if in thanks, and turned away. It knelt slightly, offering Artie to ride upon it.

Artie looked back, barely seeing the rainbow unicorn now roaming the dark forest, and then looked back at the winged horse. He lifted his self onto the winged horse's back and gently grasped its mane. The horse then extended its wings and leapt into the air, clearing the last few gnarled trees, and bringing Artie into the blinding sunlight.

* * *

Artie opened his eyes, groaning as he did so, for it was the early morning and a dusty beam of sunlight was shining right upon his face.

"Artie?" A gentle voice spoke from beside him.

"Where am I?" Artie asked, trying to squint through the sunlight.

"You're in the infirmary, Artie…" Mary stepped in front of the morning sunlight, casting a shadow upon Artie's face.

"Because of that fight?" Artie looked up at the young nurse.

Mary nodded, turning around to adjust the recovery rooms curtains so lesser amounts of sunlight entered the room. "You just missed Ashir, she was in to check on you before breakfast… she's been really worried about you, Artie."

"Why?" Artie asked.

"Well, you've been out for three days…" Mary explained calmly.

"Three days!" Artie exclaimed.

Mary simply nodded. "Don't worry too much about it, Artie, but we're glad that you're finally awake." She gave Artie a warm smile.

Artie sighed, sitting up in the bed. "What happened to me?"

"It's a bit of a long story." Mary started.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for the support!

**MG#6**


End file.
